Good day dear friends.
Here is our study guide for today:
Tuesday: In the story of Job we find that this man suffered what most of us would find the most unbearable sufferings of life. And what made matters worse was the “company” of his “friends.” Read Job 2:11-13 and compare their “response” to the grace response of the churches in Macedonia as found in Sunday’s text. What kind of friend are you? The kind that may be “present” but bring no “presents?” Or the kind who “begs” for the privilege of helping like the Macedonian Christians? (It’s not too late to change you know!)
2:11 Now when Job's three friends heard of all these troubles that had come upon him, each of them set out from his home—Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite. They met together to go and console and comfort him. 12 When they saw him from a distance, they did not recognize him, and they raised their voices and wept aloud; they tore their robes and threw dust in the air upon their heads. 13 They sat with him on the ground seven days and seven nights, and no one spoke a word to him, for they saw that his suffering was very great.
In the story of Job we find a story of money and possessions. And where you find money and possessions in the Bible you also find the question of spiritual faithfulness. Job was a very wealthy man. The Bible paints him as a man blessed in all aspects of his life, and in fact, God knows him as a very faithful spiritual man in relationship with Him. If you reread the first chapter you find that Satan questions Job's faithfulness to God by raising the question that perhaps Job's positive relationship was the result of what Job had. You know the story, God allows Satan to take away all of what were considered his possessions including his children. God had said for Satan not to touch Job himself. Even upon losing his precious children and all that he owned, Job did not sin in his relationship with God. Satan again says that Job is faithful only because he himself has not been touched and again, God allows for Job to be afflicted and even then Job does not sin. But he does go into a period of reflection as to this state that he finds himself.
It's in this setting that we find Job's "friends." The short passage assigned to us today lets us see just a bit of their nature and their relationship with Job. Their response to Job's need is not like that of brothers and sisters in the churches of Macedonia that we found in 2 Corinthians 8:1-15. When these "friends" heard of the plight of their friends who were wanting to do the will of God and all that was going on, they gave in incredible ways, begging even, to be a part of this ministry. Job's friends didn't beg to be a part of the suffering but did stay with him, we'll give them that, but if you've read this book of Job, you know they all come to the same conclusion, if God hasn't been faithful to you, why should you be faithful to God?
The churches of Macedonia could have easily said, if God wants that work to be done, why doesn't God provide the money? Sadly, we've heard similar things in our churches whenever a need outside our church is brought to our attention. Recently, though, we heard and saw great responses to the needs of evacuees from Katrina and Rita. And we praise God for that. But we come back to funding ministries both at home and abroad and what is our attitude? Are we being friends to God and to God's workers, like the brothers and sisters of Macedonia or are we like the friends of Job who sit there, shake our heads, say nothing and think, this what you're experiencing is terrible?
Again, it is the grace of God present in our lives that allows for our responses to our relationship to God and to assist in helping bring others to that same relationship. Is the grace of God present in your life in a way that allows you to beg to be a part of the ongoing ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ?
PRAYER: Loving God of grace, shower us with that grace. Let us receive it in ways that make us Your friends, Your servants, and truly worthy to be called Your children. We pray in the name of our one true friend, Jesus our Lord. Amen.
Have a great and blessed day!
e.v.
