August 11, 2026 - Thank You Jesus
- brooks16055
- 2 hours ago
- 3 min read
Job 5:8-9 NIV
[8] “But if I were you, I would appeal to God; I would lay my cause before him. [9] He performs wonders that cannot be fathomed, miracles that cannot be counted.
When I read Job I find myself relating to the friends who are giving Job advice. I am often that person. I don't think that they are intentionally being unsupportive to Job. Remember they don't know that upper-level story. They have no idea of the conversation that God and Satan had. It is good advice to call out to God. I am curious what the word for appeal is and to know if there is any deeper meaning to it. I advise my friends who are suffering troubles to turn to God and remind them of His greatness and power. I don't think that's wrong. I try to be sensitive to the Spirit when I am advising my friends. Pointing them to who God is and truths of scripture. But that doesn't mean that I get it right all the time. Even when I get it wrong I am trying to help.
Job 6:8-10 NIV
[8] “Oh, that I might have my request, that God would grant what I hope for, [9] that God would be willing to crush me, to let loose his hand and cut off my life! [10] Then I would still have this consolation— my joy in unrelenting pain— that I had not denied the words of the Holy One.
Job does not ask God to fix the problems. He asks that God would end the pain by ending his life. I think he is beginning to feel the temptation to blame God, and he would rather die before he is weekend by his misery and gives into the temptation. He does not want to deny God, but I think he is questioning his ability to maintain his integrity in continued pain. I think Job is an example that we cannot live up to. Even in the depth of the deepest emotional and physical pain his biggest concern is that he would not deny God. I don't think that is what most of us think about when we are in pain. We might cry out to God and remind ourselves and Him of who He is to increase our trust in His ability to work it all out for our good but let's face it we do that for our own comfort and encouragement. God has shown me lately how my concern for me can quickly become and idol. I am grateful that he has convicted me of my prideful sin and am trying to keep that in the front of my mind that I might recognize when I start to do similar things. I think our focus in struggles can become sinful when we are thinking about what we are experiencing more than who God is, His word and how to please Him.
Tonight at bible study we looked at Judges 2. We saw the summary of the pattern of how after the first generation of Israelites who entered the promised land died those who were left turned from God because they didn't know God. It says that when a judge would die the people would turn from God. And eventually God would give them a new judge to lead them and they would repent and walk with God. Then that leader would die and they would turn from God again. Over and over this happened. The book of Judges helps us to see our need for a leader who will not die. I was struck that we can thank God for the fact that we too will fail and turn to sin over and over again, but the difference is that our leader Jesus never leaves us. He is still alive and He gave us the Spirit of God in us to lead us so that can be convicted of our sin that we might repent and turn back to Him. So even when my advice to a friend is bad or when I blame God in my suffering or I think about myself more than others or my focus is on me not on Christ, the Spirit can convict me and I can turn from that sin and turn back to God.
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