Day 153: Job 4:21 - 7:21

Wow, I must say that I'm a little annoyed with Job and we're only 7 chapters in. I'm not sure if this will be a recurring theme throughout the entire book, but I can already spot two very definite issues with Job and how he is handling these troubles. For starters, his buddy Eliphaz is doing absolutely nothing but making Job's life worse while making himself feel like he's accomplished something. I have to admit that I've found myself acting just like Eliphaz and I'd be willing to be that somewhere along the way, you've been guilty of the same.  Job didn't even ask Eliphaz for his advice, but he sure did get it. If our friends are down, it's definitely not our job to come around and explain to them why they're hurting and what they need to change. Our job as Christian friends is to cry with them, pray with them and believe God with them. Which brings me to my next point. In this stage of Job's suffering, he is reminding me less of a brilliant poet who wrote a book of the Bible and more of a selfish immature 5-year old who didn't get his way. I understand that he lost nearly everything that he held dear, but instead of falling back into the arms of the One who should have meant more to him than any of these things, he sat in a dirt pile and felt sorry for himself. I know that Job will eventually turn back to God, but just imagine what would have happened if he had just turned his eyes towards Heaven and threw whatever bit of faith and trust that he had left on God. I'm not completely sure what the next chapters have in store, but I can guarantee that they would be full of much different content if he had turned to God at this point.

- Lord, help me to not be the friend who tries to "fix" everyone's problems by telling them what I think is wrong with them. Help me to have genuine compassion, not pity, for them so that I can stand in the gap and pray for and with them. Also, give me the strength and wisdom to look to You for the answer at the beginning rather than waiting till I have absolutely nothing left before I turn to You. I have a feeling that route may save me a great deal of pain and heartache. -