Job 11-13
Zophar adds that, not only must Job be guilty of something, but that God must be going easy on him! Job’s friends refuse to consider that Job might indeed be innocent, because they cannot reconcile how a ‘just’ God could let such an injustice happen. Understandably, I suppose. Is the lesson here that we should not let our supposed understanding of God cause us to judge what is going on with somebody else?
I once knew a lady who got in an argument with our Sunday school teacher over predestination vs foreknowledge. The teacher believed in predestination but the lady could not reconcile that God would doom unborn babies to eternal death because they weren’t “predestined” to be saved. I think we need to be veeerrrrrry careful with what we presume to know about God and how He works. Otherwise, among other things, we might wind up shaming somebody who is hurting instead of being a help and an encouragement to them (like Job’s friends did to Job).
“Though He slay me, I will hope in Him. Nevertheless I will argue my ways before Him. This also will be my salvation, for a godless man may not come before His presence.” Job 13: 15-16 NASB
Matt. 9:18-38
“According to your faith, be it done to you” (Matt. 9:29); “Your faith has made you well” (Matt. 9:22)…I wish I understood faith. I wish I had the faith to allow God to work fully in and through me. But I guess it is enough for me, like Job, to hope in God, whether or not I understand, and to take heart in knowing that I can come before God with anything – good or bad – because I am His.