The Joy of Glory

Discovering endless joy in the boundless glory of God…

Tag: suffering

March 25, 2014

Lent Devotional: Job 9-10

Job 9-10 (click here)
For he is not a man, as I am, that I might answer him, that we should come to trial together. 33 There is no arbiter between us, who might lay his hand on us both. 34 Let him take his rod away from me, and let not dread of him terrify me. (Job 9:32-34)

Reflection
No matter how much Job feels that he is innocent and undeserving of the suffering he is experiencing, he knows that arguing such a case before the perfectly righteous, almighty God would be futile. No man can stand before the holy God and argue that he is righteous. Job knows that would never work!

Therefore, he longs for an arbiter…someone who could stand between he and God. Someone who could argue his case for him…someone who could relate to him as a man, but be worthy to stand before God. Such a person could perhaps save Job.

Is there such a person?

From our Christian perspective, we cannot help but think of Jesus. Fully God…able to stand before the Father in perfect righteousness. Fully man…able to identify with us. He is our arbiter…our mediator. He has born our unrighteousness so that we might be righteous before God…saved.

Job (and us) experiences suffering in this life, but God has provided a mediator who ultimately will bring our suffering to an end.  As our arbiter, Jesus has taken all the punishment for our sin so that we can know when we suffer…we are are NOT being punished! Job is NOT being punished and neither are you when you suffer for Christ has taken every ounce of just punishment you ever deserved!  When we suffer, it is mysteriously, providentially working for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison…it is working for our good, not our punishment (2 Cor 4:17, Ro 8:28).

Take heart…you have a mediator, an arbiter…the man, Jesus Christ (1 Tim 2:5)!

*The complete SVCC Lenten reading guide is available here.

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March 22, 2014

Lent Devotional: Job 4-5

Job 4-5 (click here)
Remember: who that was innocent ever perished? Or where were the upright cut off? 8 As I have seen, those who plow iniquity and sow trouble reap the same. (Job 4:7-8)

Behold, blessed is the one whom God reproves; therefore despise not the discipline of the Almighty. 18 For he wounds, but he binds up; he shatters, but his hands heal. (Job 5:17-18)

Reflection
Flat, overly-simplified theology is dangerous. The world is complex, we are complex, situations are complex…things are not as simple as they seem. All too often we take something that is true and apply it in a very flat/rigid manner that Scripture simply will not allow.

This is the fault of Eliphaz (and the rest of Job’s friends). The basic truth he latches onto is that God punishes the wicked and upholds the righteous. We know that to be true, but the way in which that truth plays out in life is very complex. Eliphaz attempts to apply it in a very flat, overly-simplified way. Job is suffering…God punishes the wicked…therefore Job must have done something wrong and is being punished as a result.

Eliphaz offers an equally simple solution. Job needs to repent and God will bind up his wounds and heal him…restore him. The situation seems very cut and dry. Yet, we know that Job is not suffering as a result of sin. There is no punishment present. This is innocent suffering. Eliphaz has no category for that.

Innocent suffering does not undo the truth that God punishes the wicked and upholds the righteous…for God will uphold his justice, but in his time and his way. He works from an eternal perspective that we simply cannot see.

This is why we, like Job, must walk by faith…trusting God. When it comes to our pain and the pain of others…we must avoid simple diagnoses and prescriptions.  Job knows that he does not “deserve” his present suffering. God must be doing something other than “punishing” him. God must have a deeper purpose, for he does not allow any of our pain to be meaningless no matter how senseless it feels to us (2 Cor 4:17).


*The complete SVCC Lenten reading guide is available here.

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March 21, 2014

Lent Devotional: Job 3

Job 3 (click here)
Why is light given to him who is in misery, and life to the bitter in soul, 21 who long for death, but it comes not, and dig for it more than for hidden treasures, 22 who rejoice exceedingly and are glad when they find the grave? 23 Why is light given to a man whose way is hidden, whom God has hedged in? 24 For my sighing comes instead of my bread, and my groanings are poured out like water. 25 For the thing that I fear comes upon me, and what I dread befalls me. 26 I am not at ease, nor am I quiet; I have no rest, but trouble comes. (Job 3:20-26)

Reflection
Why?

We all ask that question…even Job. Sometimes, when we read Job 1-2, we can mistakenly think that Job is “super-human” because he responds to his suffering in worship…but that doesn’t mean he is not confused and filled with questions. On the contrary, what makes his (and our) worship so awesome is that it takes place amidst questions!

Job is baffled by his unexplained suffering and is in such pain that he feels he would be better off dead. He doesn’t understand what God is doing and he expresses those questions that are stirring int he depths of his soul. It is ok to express our questions to God. It is ok to tell the Lord we are confused and we do not understand. We are never expected to bottle up our feelings and pretend like everything is ok as we suffer.

We can bring our questions and our hurt to the Lord…yet…we must be careful…there is a difference between questions and accusations. The book of Job teaches us that God is just and righteous…that he never sins or does wrong…even when our circumstances make things seem otherwise. So, as believers, we approach God with our questions from a starting point of trust.

We are confused…we don’t understand…but we trust.

Even Job will eventually fall prey to the temptation to accuse God of injustice (Job 27:2-6) and for this alone will he be rebuked by God himself (Job 38:1-3)…and Job will repent (Job 40:1-5). He will see that even when he cannot see…God can be trusted. Even when we don’t know the why…we can know the who…and the who is worthy of our trust.

*The complete SVCC Lenten reading guide is available here.

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