Greetings:
Recap: Job being tested twice by Satan, allowed by God
Job never curses God
Job becomes depressed, and begins to question God, but not condemn or curse.
Jobs friends show up with their own form of counseling
Last week: God speaks. Questions Job about who he thinks he is. Creator of mountains, and animals and stars, maker of snow and lightning and ruler of the seas.
This week, Job’s response to God Job 42:1-6
What did Job learn?
First, Who realized he had no right to ask.
DO we? Can we do as God asked? Can we make a star or walk in the depths of the ocean? Or control wild beasts?
Second thing Job learned. Admit to doing wrong, and be sorry.
This is called repenting. It still is expected from us Today.
Go into Admitting that we are sinful, admitting we not only do wrong, but will continue to do wrong, and only He can forgive us.
Being Sorry for doing it. It doesn’t work for us or God if we don’t truly want to change ourselves
Lastly Job learned to let it go.
He no longer feels sorry for himself. He understands that He will not always know why it happened,
We understand that we do not experience suffering for no reason, yet we may not ever know what that reason is.
but will know that God is always in charge and will always look after him.
As we do as Job did. He continued to be blameless and upright.
Are we? Can we expect to be restored by God if we do not be as Job was?
Well lets see. Lets say your child, son daughter, niece or nephew did something wrong, but refused to be sorry or to change their ways. Would you let them go to do it again and again? Would you give them gifts for their behavior? Probably not.
We note in verse 10, it says, “After Job prays for his friends the Lord made him prosperous again. Here is the turning point. He admitted to what he did wrong, and he forgave his friends who gave him bad advice. Then, and only then did God bless him with all the things he lost and then double.
Conclusion:
Where are we in the story? First, we need to get to being blameless and upright. Then when we suffer from things we don’t understand and we feel like questioning God, we shouldn’t. but even if that happens, we admit it, and we fall to His feet in repentance. We should want to change to what God wants us to be, Who God wants us to be.
And then, when we forgive those around us, even our enemies, then we are restored. Not that the offer was ever taken off the table, but by our behavior, we walk away from the gift.
Where are we?
Do we need to work on being blameless and upright? DO we need to be sorry for the things we have done, said, or even thought?
In any case, the place to do that, is here. Right here. At His feet. At His altar. God is everywhere, but He can meet you in certain circumstances, at important places and if that is where you are at, that place is right here. (point at the Altar)
Would you pray for those that are asking Him for His help, for those that want to be blessed, for those that Need to be restored?
Pray.
While some people continue to pray we are going to be led in a song.
