“Wait” you may say, “What happened to day’s 108-116?” We will do those, but it was pointed out to me that there are people that are caught-up with their reading and that God has been using this blog as I a blessing but in more ways than just information, but also as an accountability tool. With me falling behind it has been easier for them to miss a day or two knowing I’m not going to be there for a while. My goal is to have people in their Bibles every day, by myself falling behind I am in a way giving folk an excuse not to read or rather the devil could use my absence as an excuse not to read…so if I can be a help in your journey or as you build this daily habit then I desire to do so. I think for me also personally it will be good to go to where I am supposed to be and on the days I have time I will fill in those 9 days I’m behind with a second blog on that day. So today we are supposed to be in Job 33 & 34 and so that is what I am going to write on now. I thank you for your understanding.

And of course right when we are trying to catch-up we are in Job 🙂

“However now, Job, please hear my speech,
And listen to all my words.
2 “Behold now, I open my mouth,
My tongue in my mouth speaks.
3 “My words are from the uprightness of my heart,
And my lips speak knowledge sincerely.
4 “The Spirit of God has made me,
And the breath of the Almighty gives me life.
5 “Refute me if you can;
Array yourselves before me, take your stand.
6 “Behold, I belong to God like you;
I too have been formed out of the clay.
7 “Behold, no fear of me should terrify you,
Nor should my pressure weigh heavily on you.” -Job 33:1-7

This opening salvo by Elihu reminds me of many a conversation I’ve had with Christians. There is a presumption sometimes under those of us that call ourselves followers of Jesus, that just because we are His followers and just because we are speaking of Christian things then we are speaking with all knowledge and understanding. Elihu here makes that claim, “Listen to all my words…My words are from the uprightness of my heart.” But the problem is he still speaks in error. In the next chapter he chastises Job asking who is he to question to God and accuse Him of not punishing in fairness, here Elihu speaks a partial truth. This is a good question. Who are we that we should question the will and the acts of God? Praise Him He allows us to question, but we should be cautious that our questioning does not move to accusing and accusing to doubt. Anyway Elihu is correct in that assessment, but then he is in error in that He again asserts that God is punishing because Job “deserves” it,

“Behold, God does all these oftentimes with men,
30 To bring back his soul from the pit,
That he may be enlightened with the light of life.” -Job 34:29, 30

I personally don’t in fact disagree with this, that God allows things to happen in our lives at times to allow us to go through a “crisis” and see our need for Him. But Elihu applying this to all situations is a partial truth mixed with error. He is both correct and incorrect.

And it is why we as Christians should be very cautious of applying universal observations to all situations?

Job was not in fact going through this because of His need to return to God, but rather God was allowing it for a lesson to all generations on some cosmic scale to illustrate in live action the Great Controversy that exists between good and evil.

Sometimes we may look at a situation and say, “________ is happening because this person did _______” Do we really know? Elihu spoke as if he knew without a doubt…but he should have doubted because he was wrong.

Let us as Christians be cautious in speaking in black and white when there may be some gray not because God is gray, but because our minds our finite and we cannot fully see the solid shades just yet.

Tomorrow’s Reading: Jeremiah 22-26