Job 29:1-5 - Job continued his discourse: "How I long for the
months gone by, for the days when God watched over me,
when his lamp shone upon my head and by
his light I walked through darkness! Oh, for the days when I was in my prime, when
God's intimate friendship blessed my house, when the Almighty was still with me and my
children were around me.
Job poured out his heart just a few minutes longer. He
remembers fondly the past moments when his life was full of good things. He recounts
the full feeling he had when God had blessed him with wealth and family and great
purpose. He longs for the days when he was respected…and loved…and enjoyed the
blessings of the Earth God granted to him.
My Life Application Bible said he was walking a fine line between
bragging and recounting the good deeds he had done to answer the charges
against him. He came dangerously close to letting pride be his comforter in
this moment. His recounting of God’s gifts
and blessings in his life could have easily become a list of self-earned
accomplishments.
I don’t believe Job was bragging in this moment…I think he
was just homesick for God to be evident in his life. He missed God’s gentle
touch on his home and body and belongings…and was trying to recount the good
old days to find some form of comfort. Job
was using his sweet memories to keep some relationship going with God…who was
standing just out of Job’s reach.
His sweet words of memory…his longing for the good old days was
helping him to stay connected to God. He needed to feel God be part of his life
again…to ease his pain and suffering…he needed to have purpose in his life once
again. Job desperately wanted to feel the presence of God again….he wanted to
know that God still had a reason for him to live.
We all search for God’s will and purpose in our life. We need to know that God has a purpose for
the pain he has allowed in our life…that the storm he has led us through has
some usefulness to others. We want to find a reason in our heart to thank God
for the storm…so we can begin to move past the pain it caused in our life.
Job doesn’t know it yet…but he is very close to the end of
his storm. God is just a breath away…watching
like a proud father as Job pours out love instead of hate. I am pretty sure that satan is steaming right
now…knowing that he lost this bet he made with God. Job IS going to be okay…and
satan IS going to realize that nothing he can do will break Job’s spirit….and
separate him for God’s love.
It reminds me to only recount the sweet memories of the blessings
God only granted for short moments of my life…so I can properly thank him for
them. It reminds me to not live in the
past…but use the lessons God taught me from the past…. to help others through
the storms that are like mine were. I am reminded to thank God daily for the
gift he gave me in Mitchell for four short months…so he can use my pain to help
others who have lost the love of their life.
Father...thank you for the gifts you give…and take away in
your perfect timing. Thank you for the purpose you create in our hearts from
the immense pain you hold our hand through.
Help me to always remember the good times as a pathway to finding peace
for the present…so I can always thank you for the lessons they have taught me
about your perfect love. Amen.
Good word my friend
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