Jan 15 (Daily reading: Job 40-42) God asked Job more rhetorical questions (72 total questions). Job could only answer and confess (42:1-6): “I know that You can do all things, and that no plan is impossible for You.” Job was moved to make a memorable pronouncement: “My ears had heard of You but now my eyes have seen You” (NIV). Job’s experience was the same as that of the Samaritans: “It is no longer because of what you said that we believe, for we have heard for ourselves and know that this One truly is the Savior of the world” (Jn. 4:42). So many of our friends have heard about Jesus. It is only when they meet Him, and experience His grace, that they will truly know Him! Many of you will remember the plaque on our wall in the other house: “No Jesus, no peace; know Jesus, know peace!”
We happily read that God rebuked Job’s friends because they had been so clueless in the face of Job’s suffering. We can learn from their mistakes how we are to comfort one another. As Paul wrote, “We can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God. For just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows” (2 Cor. 1:4-5). James uses Job’s experience to teach us an important life lesson about God: “You have heard of the endurance of Job and have seen the outcome of the Lord’s dealings, that the Lord is full of compassion and is merciful” (Ja. 5:11).
-Al Gary
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