Discover His heart: The all-knowing God directs our lives according to His knowledge
We’ve all heard the sayings, ignorance is bliss and what you don’t know can’t hurt you, but it’s difficult to not know or be ignorant in this information age. There are times, usually about midday, when my brain just hurts from too much input, but thankfully it’s nothing that a good cup of coffee doesn’t cure. Most often knowledge on just about any subject is invaluable and helps to protect us. It enriches our lives, although sometimes not knowing does offer momentary bliss. However, in Job’s situation, not knowing was almost killing him.
@ Job 13
After much discussion, Job’s dialogue with his visitors became, well, cranky to say the least, and I really don’t blame him. “As for you, you smear me with lies. As physicians, you are worthless quacks. If only you could be silent! That’s the wisest thing you could do.” (4-5) Job also questioned their audacity to speak for God without His permission.
“Listen closely to what I am about to say. Hear me out. I have prepared my case; I will be proved innocent.” (17-18) No longer filled with the earlier lofty questions to his friends about God and His actions, Job took matters into his own hands and decided to take his case to court before God—and became his own lawyer!
He personally wanted to ask God what the charges were against him, why had God turned from him. But in the closing remarks of his trial, this broken man, filled with sorrow over loss, covered with sores, acquiesced, “You have decided the length of our lives. You know how many months we will live, and we are not given a minute longer.” (14:5) Job lost all hope for the future.
It’s important to remember here that we know some things that Job was not privy to. We are aware of Satan’s challenge in Chapter 1, but Job had no knowledge of it. He had no idea of the purpose behind all his pain, and while Job felt he was being wrongfully punished, we know he was being tested. Walking through difficult times in the past, nothing comparable to Job’s trials I might add, I often wondered if I had done something to cause it – why this pain? After examining my heart for a cause, I came to realize that there are just some things I am not privy to. God has a plan and a purpose that I may or may not someday understand, and that’s okay because I have hope.
Where Job had little to no knowledge of eternal life, we are well aware that we are simply sojourners through this life on our way to heaven. It makes me smile to read Job’s hopeful question, “Can the dead live again? If so, this would give me hope through all my years of struggle.” (14:14) Job was brave to even ask the question in his day. Can the dead live again? Yes, Job, yes!
We are blessed to live on this side of Calvary with a Bible to read, where we learn about God’s purpose for us and the knowledge that we will one day live again to spend eternity with Him. “For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words.” (1 Thessalonians 4:16-18NKJ) Where Job sat in despair, uncertain of his future, we have hope of an eternal future with God. Be comforted!
Moving forward: Because God is in control of today’s challenges, I have hope for the future and the assurance of eternal life with Him.
Tomorrow @ Isaiah 34-39
Phyllis Benigas 