Thoughts for another day

June 19, 2007

Today's verse: Job 23:3 Oh that I knew where I might find him! that I might come even to his seat! (KJV)
(Pls. read the above before you read further. Thanks)

The book of Job in the Bible is a book of many questions, among which is the above. We know that Job was a man righteous before God (job1:1) and that suddenly he was reduced to a state of utter despair. Despite this, Job did not malign God. Neither did He question God why? Rather, when his wife prompted him to curse God and die, he made that profound statement that should pull at our hearts, ‘we accept good things from God, should we then not accept evil?’ (Job 2:10).

When Job’s friends came to console him, they heaped various allegations on him saying, somehow, he must have sinned. Job vehemently tried to defend his position in which the language he uses, gradually shifts from despair to hope tinged with a hint of arrogance in his own sincerity to Godly obligations. What touches us in the above is his knowledge of the mercy of God. Job was not a Hebrew. He came from the land of Uz, which had no influence of the God of Abraham. Yet, we find here in Job, a profound knowledge of God’s ways and understanding. In fact of all the people on the earth, it is astounding that God chooses Job to demonstrate how men faithful to God, endure bad situations and do not blame God or revile Him.

The above verse spells the anxiety of Job’s life wherein he despairingly hopes He knew where he could find God and his seat, which we know as the Mercy Seat (Ex. 25:17). What’s amazing is Job’s fidelity despite not knowing Yahweh God. Besides, he was also aware of God’s mercy and his need for it. Now we are mostly Christian and we know God. We have also understood His mercy and experienced it in our own lives. How then do we act in a pressure kind of situation, do we seek to know how to find our God? Do we seek to arrive at His Mercy Seat? Or…? How does it go in our lives?

Take some time off today and answer the above question. Joy will surely fill your heart when He speaks to you in a still voice and reassures you.