Lessons Learned

Lessons Learned

Reading: Job 42; 1 Corinthians 13-14 1 Then Job replied to the Lord: 2 “I know that you can do anything, and no one can stop you. 3 You ask, ‘Who is this that questions my wisdom with such ignorance?’ It is I. And I was talking about things I did not understand, things far too wonderful for me. 4 “You said, ‘Listen and I will speak! I have some questions for you, and you must answer them.’ 5 “I had heard about you before, but now I have seen you with my own eyes. 6 I take back everything I said, and I sit in dust and ashes to show my repentance.” (Job 42:1-6 NLT) Job learned some important things through his experiences that have become part of our understanding of the truth about God and about ourselves. Here are some truths that stood out to me:
• The Lord gave me everything I had and the Lord has taken it away. (Job 1:21) Even though God was not actually the one who “took it away,” Job realized that God has the right to do what he chooses, and sometimes it is easy for us and sometimes it is hard for us. But God is still in charge. Should we accept only good things from the hand of God and never anything bad?… (Job 2:10)
• “But as for me, I know that my Redeemer lives, and that he will stand upon the earth at last. And after my body has decayed, yet in my body I will see God. I will see him for myself. Yes, I will see him with my own eyes. I am overwhelmed at the thought!” (Job 19:25-27) Job received a revelation of eternity, of life after death, that is completely consistent with what is revealed in the gospels, and in Peter’s and Paul’s letters, and in the book of Revelation.
• Job never really understood why all this stuff happened to him, but it didn’t shake his faith in God or in God’s justice and righteousness.
• Job’s friends spoke a lot of things that were true, but consistently failed to speak “The Truth” to Job. He still forgave them and prayed for them.
• It was when Job prayed for his friends, those who had hurt him the most, that God restored him physically and materially. Prayer: Father, I don’t want to have to go through the experiences of Job to learn the lessons I need to learn. Help me to learn from his story and his experiences. Help me to be a true comforter to those in trouble, not always looking to place blame. Help me to stand firm and steady in faith during the hard times as well as the good times. Help me to trust you and not always feel I have to understand the “why” in every situation. Amen.