In chapter 12, Job responded to his “friend’s” simplistic formulas and bad theology. They had been berating him, telling him that he was suffering because he thought too highly of himself and that he was in sin. They believed suffering only happened because someone was in sin and God was punishing them. Job’s straightforward answer was that he understood that every life is in God\u2019s hands. He had already said that God was holy and that he was not. Therefore, he didn’t need more theology and assumptions; he needed his friends’ support.<\/p>\n
Believing friends need to be supportive and caring during the storms of life. We need to lead our struggling friends to the Lord in prayer, without trying to solve all the theological questions involved. To say, “I don’t know why this or that tragedy is happening” is not a cop-out. It’s even OK to say, “I don\u2019t know anything better to tell you than God is good and He does not change.” The reality is that we often don’t understand God’s plans, but we can continue to believe that the plans He has for our lives are good. There is a process going on in every believer’s life. The apostle Paul said it this way: \u201cFor I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus\u201d (Phil. 1:6). Once God begins a work in a person\u2019s life, He will not stop until that work reaches completion.<\/p>\n
The old hymn “God Moves in a Mysterious Way” has been a source of great comfort to many since William Cowper wrote it in the 18th century. Yet few people know that throughout his life he struggled with long bouts of crippling depression. On more than one occasion he tried to commit suicide, only to be miraculously restrained by the hand of God. Knowing this gives greater weight to the words of his song:<\/p>\n
God moves in a mysterious way
\nHis wonders to perform;
\nHe plants His footsteps in the sea
\nAnd rides upon the storm.<\/p>\n. . .<\/p>\n
Ye fearful saints, fresh courage take;
\nThe clouds ye so much dread
\nAre big with mercy and shall break
\nIn blessings on your head.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n“Thank You, LORD, for this day; we give it back to You in Jesus’ name.”<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n
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Job 12 KJV<\/p>\n\n\n\n
1<\/sup>\u00a0And Job answered and said,\u00a02<\/sup>\u00a0No doubt but ye\u00a0are\u00a0<\/em>the people, and wisdom shall die with you.\u00a03<\/sup>\u00a0But I have understanding as well as you; I\u00a0am\u00a0<\/em>not inferior to you: yea, who knoweth not such things as these?\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a04<\/sup>\u00a0I am\u00a0as\u00a0<\/em>one mocked of his neighbour, who calleth upon God, and he answereth him: the just upright\u00a0man is<\/em>laughed to scorn.\u00a05<\/sup>\u00a0He that is ready to slip with\u00a0his\u00a0<\/em>feet\u00a0is as\u00a0<\/em>a lamp despised in the thought of him that is at ease. 6<\/sup>\u00a0The tabernacles of robbers prosper, and they that provoke God are secure; into whose hand God bringeth\u00a0abundantly\u00a0<\/em>.\u00a07<\/sup>\u00a0But ask now the beasts, and they shall teach thee; and the fowls of the air, and they shall tell thee:\u00a08<\/sup>\u00a0Or speak to the earth, and it shall teach thee: and the fishes of the sea shall declare unto thee.\u00a09<\/sup>\u00a0Who knoweth not in all these that the hand of the\u00a0LORD\u00a0hath wrought this?\u00a010<\/sup>\u00a0In whose hand\u00a0is\u00a0<\/em>the soul of every living thing, and the breath of all mankind.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a011<\/sup>\u00a0Doth not the ear try words? and the mouth taste his meat?\u00a012<\/sup>\u00a0With the ancient\u00a0is\u00a0<\/em>wisdom; and in length of days understanding.\u00a013<\/sup>\u00a0With him\u00a0is<\/em> wisdom and strength, he hath counsel and understanding.\u00a0\u00a014<\/sup>\u00a0Behold, he breaketh down, and it cannot be built again: he shutteth up a man, and there can be no opening.\u00a0\u00a015<\/sup>\u00a0Behold, he withholdeth the waters, and they dry up: also he sendeth them out, and they overturn the earth.\u00a016<\/sup>\u00a0With him\u00a0is\u00a0<\/em>strength and wisdom: the deceived and the deceiver\u00a0are\u00a0<\/em>his.\u00a017<\/sup>\u00a0He leadeth counsellors away spoiled, and maketh the judges fools.\u00a018<\/sup>\u00a0He looseth the bond of kings, and girdeth their loins with a girdle.\u00a019<\/sup>\u00a0He leadeth princes away spoiled, and overthroweth the mighty.\u00a020<\/sup>\u00a0He removeth away the speech of the trusty, and taketh away the understanding of the aged.\u00a0\u00a021<\/sup>\u00a0He poureth contempt upon princes, and weakeneth the strength of the mighty.\u00a0\u00a022<\/sup>\u00a0He discovereth deep things out of darkness, and bringeth out to light the shadow of death.\u00a023<\/sup>\u00a0He increaseth the nations, and destroyeth them: he enlargeth the nations, and straiteneth them\u00a0again<\/em>.\u00a0\u00a024<\/sup>\u00a0He taketh away the heart of the chief of the people of the earth, and causeth them to wander in a wilderness\u00a0where there is\u00a0<\/em>no way.\u00a025<\/sup>\u00a0They grope in the dark without light, and he maketh them to stagger like\u00a0a\u00a0<\/em>drunken\u00a0man<\/em>.\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
In chapter 12, Job responded to his “friend’s” simplistic formulas and bad theology. They had been berating him, telling him that he was suffering because he thought too highly of himself and that he was in sin. They believed suffering only happened because someone was in sin and God was punishing them. Job’s straightforward answer […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/packinghouseredlands.org\/devotional\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7530"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/packinghouseredlands.org\/devotional\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/packinghouseredlands.org\/devotional\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/packinghouseredlands.org\/devotional\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/7"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/packinghouseredlands.org\/devotional\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=7530"}],"version-history":[{"count":14,"href":"https:\/\/packinghouseredlands.org\/devotional\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7530\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":16447,"href":"https:\/\/packinghouseredlands.org\/devotional\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7530\/revisions\/16447"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/packinghouseredlands.org\/devotional\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=7530"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/packinghouseredlands.org\/devotional\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=7530"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/packinghouseredlands.org\/devotional\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=7530"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}