I haven't wanted to read Job lately to be honest. I've been doing everything to stand and take my stand against the wiles of the devil which seek to make me doubt and be discouraged and depressed... and so, reading Job just hasn't appealed to me.
But this morning as I heard the call to return to my daily readings through the scriptures I found myself being surprisingly refreshed by the sufferings and honest prayers of Job.
I posted over at my benediction blog today, blessing God for the honesty of Job and how I see that honesty of casting all my cares on God because He cares for me in my little children. I pray they never outgrow that! I also see that honesty increasing in me and am reminded of how easily I tend to be naturally like Job's "friends". I tend to have a religious haughtiness that is always trying to "teach" someone why or what they may have done. But as the Lord has touched my life with His grace and exposed the wickedness in me He has increased my capacity for talking with Him honestly and being transparent before others too... not always trying to figure out why or lay blame somewhere, but rather just crying out to God and standing with others while they cry out too.
Job also reveals this longing we have when we're honest before God: that someone would plead for us before God because we know we have no ability to stand before Him.
Job prophecies when he says, "Oh, that one might plead for a man with God. As a man pleads for his neighbor!" Job 16:21
He prophecies of Jesus.
Job stands in the place of salvation right there. Right there where he knows he needs someone to plead for him... someone who can stand before God on his behalf.
Salvation is not found in doing what you think is right in the sight of God- where you think you are saved, like Job's friends thought, because they were wise and didn't practice wickedness. Salvation is found in having a broken and contrite heart... a heart that like Job cries, "My spirit is broken..." (Job 17:1) That's the place where Jesus stands pleading our cases before God as a man pleads for his neighbor, and He is salvation.
The Lord is near to those who have a broken heart, And saves such as have a
contrite spirit. -Psalm 34:18
The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, A broken and a contrite heart--
These, O God, You will not despise. -Psalm 51:17
Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen,
who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us.
-Romans 8:34
Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them. -Hebrews 7:25
Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God. -Romans 8:27
A humongous, gynormous AMEN, Sister! Like you, the opposition has been Huge for me lately, and it is so difficult to get through. But every single time, it is when I am weak that He is strong through me. EVERY SINGLE time. Incredible post.
ReplyDeleteI love the book of Job! It has so much truth and relates to many of us. Great post!! :)
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