I recently started reading the Bible chronologically. I have tried this or other reading plans in the past and have done pretty well for a few months, once I even made it ten months but then tapered off, so pray for me that I stick to it this time. In my reading I just finished the book of Job. This book has been a source of struggle for me, not just this time, but every time I have read it. I have always struggled with this story. I have often asked why is this book even in the Bible? What am I supposed to get out of it?
This time, while reading, I kept going back over certain passages to make sure that I had not missed anything. I began getting frustrated again. Finally, I asked God to show me something, anything that I could take from my readings. Yes, it took me four days of reading before I finally went to the source but at least I did.
God then opened my eyes to a fact that I had missed before. There were actually four friends who spoke to Job. I had never really thought about it, never really paid attention because in the last part of the book it says “So Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite and Zophar the Naamathite did what the LORD told them; and the LORD accepted Job’s prayer.” (Job 42:9) I felt God speak to me “What about Elihu?” And I remembered Elihu was the one who called himself young and who waited until all the others had spoken before he said anything. I had never really considered the fact that God brought correction to the other three friends and to Job but not to Elihu. I had never even really considered the fact that Elihu wasn't one of the "three" friends. I really felt God wanted me to learn something from what Elihu had said.
I then went back and looked at the account of Elihu and one thing really stood out to me, Job 32: 2-3 “Then the wrath of Elihu, the son of Barachel the Buzite, of the family of Ram, was aroused against Job; his wrath was aroused because he justified himself rather than God. Also against his three friends his wrath was aroused, because they had found no answer, and yet had condemned Job.” I began to realize that in everything leading up to this point Job had continued to talk about how righteous he had been and that he had not deserved any of the things that had happened to him. He never cursed God or said anything bad about God but he continued to ask what he had done to cause this. His other three friends were just as bad because they each inferred that Job should take a better look at himself because he obviously had to have done something to make God strike him down like this. They condemned but offered no solution. Elihu also continued to stress that fact that God did all these mighty things and who was Job to try to convince God of his righteousness. And when God did finally speak He also asked Job who was he to question God.
This realization has continued to confirm in my heart “who” I am in Christ. It has strengthened my belief in God’s control over everything. It has made me ask “Who am I to question God and His authority?” If you pay close attention to the beginning of Job, God did not put any of those things on Job. He did “allow” things to happen and that can be the topic of another discussion, but He did not do it.
The Bible says that God is “not wanting anyone to perish” 2 Peter 3:9. Death is not His will; it is not His perfect plan. When God created man and put him in the Garden of Eden He told him that he could eat of any tree except the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil that included the Tree of Life. God did, however; give man free will and he chose to eat the one that lead to death. Just think if man had chosen the other.
What I am trying to say is that God is not up in heaven with a lightning bolt waiting for me to step out of line so He can zap me. His will is that I do not perish but come to repentance. It is also His will that I have life and life more abundantly. He wants to do for me exceedingly and abundantly above all that I could even ask or desire. As I stated earlier He has also given me, and all other people free will. He has given us the ability to choose who we will serve and even if I make the right choice there are others out there that will not.
Was it God’s will that my brother in law shoot and kill a man then shoot my sister and leave her paralyzed from the waist down? Was it God’s will that a man drink and drive and kill multiple people in a car accident? Is it God’s will that countless unborn babies die daily from abortion? People make choices that affect us all. Who am I to question God and His plan? Who am I to try to blame God for what man has done?
All I can do is trust God that what He has promised will be fulfilled, either here in this life or in the next. All I can do is believe that He loved me so much that even while I was still a sinner He sent his son to die for me. All I can do is have faith that no matter what happens to me in this sin filled world that He has overcome the world! (See John 16:33) That in my weakness His strength is made perfect. That His grace is sufficient! (2 Corinthians 12:9)
