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Today's Reading: Job 30-31
I was thinking as I read this passeage in Job about how we should treat people. It is clear Job has not been treated well after calamaty hit. It does seem as if people in general rejoice when a successful person falls. It should never be so with us.
Job goes on to list the things he has done, how he has kept himself form sin. His list reads like the reminders we have in the Gospels about how to live our lives in Christ.
-He was faithful to his wife and did not look with lust on other women
-He treated his servants fairly; recognizing that God made both he and them and he needed to treat them as image bearers of God.
-He helped the poor, the widows, and the orphans; providing food for them
-He provided clothing for the homeless and needy
-He put his trust in God not in his wealth
-He did not worship created things, reserving his worship for God alone
-He did not rejoice when disaster struck his enemies,
-He did not seek revenge or proclaim a curse on his enemies
-He never turned away a stranger, but opened his doors to everyone, feeding them and meeting their needs
-He did not hide his sins, but openly confessed them-fearing God rather than what man might think of him
-He did not steal from anyone
-He did commit murder
The very beginning of the book of Job tells us that Job was a blameless and upright man; one who worshipped God, trusted the Lord, and was consistent in his walk with God. Not that he was sinless, for he speaks in today's reading of confessing his sins. Here is a man that we would think would never suffer when we look at the life he lived. Even his friends think he must have sinned against God for these terrible things to have happened to him; that God is punishing him. The hard part for us is to acknowledge that as a follower of Jesus Christ-the ransomed and redeemed by God-suffering can be part of the package. It just doesn't fit into our idea of fairness. That is what makes Job such a troubling book to read. That is what makes Job such an encouraging book to read. In the midst of it all; knowing full well that he was not being punished for wrongdoing; Job remains steadfast in trusting his life to the Lord. He does not understand it at all, but he does not deny God nor shrink back from remaining firm in his faith.
Job goes on to list the things he has done, how he has kept himself form sin. His list reads like the reminders we have in the Gospels about how to live our lives in Christ.
-He was faithful to his wife and did not look with lust on other women
-He treated his servants fairly; recognizing that God made both he and them and he needed to treat them as image bearers of God.
-He helped the poor, the widows, and the orphans; providing food for them
-He provided clothing for the homeless and needy
-He put his trust in God not in his wealth
-He did not worship created things, reserving his worship for God alone
-He did not rejoice when disaster struck his enemies,
-He did not seek revenge or proclaim a curse on his enemies
-He never turned away a stranger, but opened his doors to everyone, feeding them and meeting their needs
-He did not hide his sins, but openly confessed them-fearing God rather than what man might think of him
-He did not steal from anyone
-He did commit murder
The very beginning of the book of Job tells us that Job was a blameless and upright man; one who worshipped God, trusted the Lord, and was consistent in his walk with God. Not that he was sinless, for he speaks in today's reading of confessing his sins. Here is a man that we would think would never suffer when we look at the life he lived. Even his friends think he must have sinned against God for these terrible things to have happened to him; that God is punishing him. The hard part for us is to acknowledge that as a follower of Jesus Christ-the ransomed and redeemed by God-suffering can be part of the package. It just doesn't fit into our idea of fairness. That is what makes Job such a troubling book to read. That is what makes Job such an encouraging book to read. In the midst of it all; knowing full well that he was not being punished for wrongdoing; Job remains steadfast in trusting his life to the Lord. He does not understand it at all, but he does not deny God nor shrink back from remaining firm in his faith.
May grace abound,
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