Beware of ‘friendly fire’

Genesis 47; Luke 1:1–38; Job 13; 1 Corinthians 1

With a bit of a smile, I’ve often said to others that if you ask God to show you your sin, then duck! This is a prayer that He quickly answers.

However, this was not the experience of Job. He knew that God disciplined His people for sin, but in his situation, he could not identify any sin. He pled with God to show it to him. If he was guilty, he could confess it, but God was silent. This man was frustrated. His ‘friends’ kept accusing him. Job didn’t think he was guilty, but God didn’t say a word.

The silence of God is painful, but having others speak to us as if they know what God would say can be even more painful. Those who belong to Jesus know His voice so when God speaks, we know it is Him regardless of the voice used. Yet we must learn to be careful. When someone says, “God told me to tell you” their message need discernment. Who is doing the talking? Job knew this and was upset with the nagging of his ‘friends’ who thought they knew what God wanted from him:

“Behold, my eye has seen all this, my ear has heard and understood it. What you know, I also know; I am not inferior to you. But I would speak to the Almighty, and I desire to argue my case with God. As for you, you whitewash with lies; worthless physicians are you all. Oh that you would keep silent, and it would be your wisdom! Hear now my argument and listen to the pleadings of my lips. Will you speak falsely for God and speak deceitfully for him? Will you show partiality toward him? Will you plead the case for God? (Job 13:1–8)

Regarding sin in my life, God can use others to rebuke it. The Bible is full of examples. However, I need to discern the voice; is this from God or not? Usually He deals with His people directly. He may give me a revelation about someone else, yet that also needs discernment. It might be a cue to pray for them, not usually a message that He wants me to give to them.

In Job’s case, he knew that his ‘friends’ were off target in their attempts to speak for God. There is no evidence that they prayed for their ‘message’ nor that God gave him the words they used in accusation.

Job was frustrated. He wanted God to speak. He jumps from responding to them to speaking to God himself. He asks again that the Lord will reveal to him what is going on or more directly, why is this trial happening to him:

Though he slay me, I will hope in him; yet I will argue my ways to his face. This will be my salvation, that the godless shall not come before him. Keep listening to my words, and let my declaration be in your ears. Behold, I have prepared my case; I know that I shall be in the right. Who is there who will contend with me? For then I would be silent and die. Only grant me two things, then I will not hide myself from your face: withdraw your hand far from me, and let not dread of you terrify me. Then call, and I will answer; or let me speak, and you reply to me. How many are my iniquities and my sins? Make me know my transgression and my sin. Why do you hide your face and count me as your enemy? (Job 13:15–24)

I’m thankful for the book of Job during those seasons when God is silent about His reasons for events in my life that seem to have no purpose. As with Job, He could be proving my faith rather than with disciplining me for some hidden sin. I also need to use caution should advice come my way that sounds more like “shape up” than a revelation from the Lord. If I am guilty of something, God will reveal it, yet I need to remember that He may be using whatever is going on to build my faith by this simple command: “Be still and know that I am God.” (Psalm 46:10)

In this confusing messy world . . .

Genesis 46; Job 12; Mark 16; Romans 16

Sometimes kings and leaders are blind to their own follies but their foolishness can be plainly seen by ordinary people. We watched a documentary last night on how the ‘war on drugs’ became a money-making scheme that also gave a false appearance of success to the justice system. The bottom line included closing schools and building more prisons, letting teachers go and hiring more prison guards. It appeared that many people failed to connect the dots.

Job, a man who clearly saw the sovereignty of God, realized everything that happened was within His providence. Even though his tone often blamed God rather than crediting Him for His power and control, Job could see what others did not see. He said:

“With God are wisdom and might; he has counsel and understanding. If he tears down, none can rebuild; if he shuts a man in, none can open. If he withholds the waters, they dry up; if he sends them out, they overwhelm the land. With him are strength and sound wisdom; the deceived and the deceiver are his. He leads counselors away stripped, and judges he makes fools. He looses the bonds of kings and binds a waistcloth on their hips. He leads priests away stripped and overthrows the mighty. He deprives of speech those who are trusted and takes away the discernment of the elders. He pours contempt on princes and loosens the belt of the strong. He uncovers the deeps out of darkness and brings deep darkness to light. He makes nations great, and he destroys them; he enlarges nations, and leads them away. He takes away understanding from the chiefs of the people of the earth and makes them wander in a trackless waste. They grope in the dark without light, and he makes them stagger like a drunken man.” (Job 12:13–25)

Even though he knew God was at the root of events and all understanding, Job struggled with the ‘why’ of it all. Why would He shut a man in, or withhold waters, or cause floods? Why would He overthrow the mighty or take away discernment? Why would he make a nation great then destroy it? Why would He remove understanding from leaders so they grope in the dark and stagger as if drunk?

We watch the news wonder the same things. We tend to blame people for their actions, perhaps knowing that God holds us accountable, yet He can influence actions and change people. Remember the leader that God kept from sinning against Sarah when Abraham told him she was his sister? Could God not also keep people from shooting one another or beating their children or doing all the evil that they do?

Some call this keeping power ‘common’ grace. It is not like saving grace that changes hearts but more like a restraint that protects or blessings of a good life for both the just and the unjust. Yet we see less and less of it. This increasing lawlessness is in the prophecies of the last days. What is a person to do?

Job determined to trust God. In Chapter 13, he says, “Though He slay me, I will hope in Him.” For many, that is the only option.

If I enumerated all the other things to be trusted, an honest evaluation shows everything but God falls short. Money cannot fix the mess the world is in; most of it is caused and fed by a lust for money. Powerful people cannot do it either. By the hand of God, many of them cannot see straight, never mind have the wherewithal to change the world. Drugs numb the senses at best, kill those who take them at worst. Hoping for the best isn’t working either.

Rather than go on, my hope is in God. He sent Jesus to die for my sin, to give me forgiveness, new life and eternal life. Nothing compares to that. Even if I often feel as if I am groping in the dark, I know that God controls both darkness and understanding. Job made it through. He had to be humbled but his faith held because it was God’s gift to him.

Far better to trust in the grace of God than to vainly think that I can fix the world — I cannot fix my own life — yet God gives me the grace to call on His sovereign wisdom and power. There is no other but Him.

Be still and know . . .

Genesis 17; Nehemiah 6; Matthew 16; Acts 16

In Genesis 17, God repeats His promises and the covenant made with Abram. He gives this man and his wife new names, establishes the covenant sign of circumcision, and affirms that Sarah will have a son, even at ninety years of age. God says it will be through this son that God will establish the covenant line and fulfill His promises to Abram. Abram believed God and did what He commanded. How did he know that what God said was true?

In Nehemiah 6, the enemies of Israel continued to conspire against Nehemiah and his work of rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem. He answered their accusations with: “No such things as you say have been done, for you are inventing them out of your own mind.” For they all wanted to frighten us, thinking, “Their hands will drop from the work, and it will not be done.” But now, O God, strengthen my hands. (Nehemiah 6:8–9) How did he know the motivations of these subtle and persistent men? How did he know they were lying?

In Matthew 26, the religious leaders AND Jesus’ disciples were not so discerning. The Pharisees and Sadducees looked for a sign. Jesus rebuked them; they could discern the weather but not what God was doing in their midst. Then, when Jesus warned the disciples to avoid their “leaven” these men thought he was rebuking them because they forgot to bring bread (even after feeding two groups of thousands with almost no food at all). Duh?

When Jesus asked His disciples who they said He was, Peter gave this wonderful answer: “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” (Matthew 16:16) yet a few verses later after Jesus told them He would die and rise again, Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him, saying, “Far be it from you, Lord! This shall never happen to you.” (Matthew 16:22) At that, Jesus said, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a hindrance to me. For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.” (Matthew 16:23) How could the earlier men of God be perceptive to what God was doing yet these who walked in the presence of God’s Son be so clueless?

Acts shows how those who later believed in Christ were tuned in. For example . . .

And they went through the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia. And when they had come up to Mysia, they attempted to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them. So, passing by Mysia, they went down to Troas. And a vision appeared to Paul in the night: a man of Macedonia was standing there, urging him and saying, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” And when Paul had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go on into Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them. (Acts 16:6–10)

Again, how did they know where to go and where not to go? This passage says the Holy Spirit was directing them through that quiet voice and through visions, much like the way God guided His people in the Old Testament. A lot of it depends on paying attention, upon waiting. He says, “Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations; I will be exalted in the earth!” (Psalm 46:10)

For me, I am trying to listen. We are in a cold snap with travel advisories. Going anywhere when it is this cold is never a good idea. We are also still coughing and hospitals often do not allow visitors who show such symptoms. My sister is in a hospital four hours driving from here on a good day. Her family are close to her. They tell me she may not know us if we do come. I want to see her, yet family are saying we do not need to feel compelled as we might want to be left with better memories — she has deteriorated so much. They are all strong in faith. One said that maybe our coughs and the weather are God’s way of telling us "not now."

As I read the above passages, I could relate to the knowing/not knowing the will of God, but also understanding what it means to be still, to know He is sovereign and I can trust Him with this. The doctors give my sister only a couple days, but only the Lord knows. She may be gone today or not be taken home until the weather and coughs no longer hinder our travel. Waiting on Him means just that, being still, knowing, realizing that He will guide us and His will is perfect.

I feel a bit heavy and don’t know what lies ahead, not even the next few minutes. The phone could ring. It may not. God knows and He will tell me what I need to know. His Word for me today is assurance that I need to be still, listen and wait.