Day 38: Job 25:1-Job 41:34 - 90 Day Challenge

We Are Just Mortals! 

The Lord Answers Job 


Today's reading picks up with Bildad. Just four verses in and he says, "How then can a man be righteous before God? How can one born of a woman be pure?"--Oh, boy. If only you knew what's to come. 

Job continues to defend himself and his righteousness, saying in Job 27:3-4, "as long as I have life within me, the breath of God in my nostrils, my lips will not speak wickedness, and my tongue will utter no deceit." He continues, looking back at the days where he had everything, where he was seemingly in the favor of God, and mourns them. Then he continues to cry out, but says that God has provided him with no answers, that God has turned on him without reason. 

Enter Elihu--a young man who was just observing this conversation nearby, and delivers this line of fire in Job 32:8-9, "But it is the spirit in a man, the breath of the Almighty, that gives him understanding. It is not only the old who are wise, not only the aged who understand what is right." TL;DR: Don't be afraid to stand up for what is right, even if you're young. 

So Elihu comes alone and says, God is awesome, and he's literally a God--an immortal. And who in the world are we to understand any of his ways? He asks why Job is complaining that he answers none of mans words? Because God answers in many ways, and man may just not perceive it. And he brings up that Job and his friends aren't exactly being just when they say, "I will be cleared by God," but then continue to ask "What profit is it to me, and what do I gain by not sinning." 

Sin is bad. Avoid it.

Elihu makes a lot of good points, and has a lot of beneficial wisdom. I highly recommend reading Job 32-37. 

In Job 38, stuff happens. The Lord answers Job in the midst of a storm, and echos Elihu. He goes on about all of creation, and asks Job where he was while every decision was made, while every animal was born, where he was when the mountains quaked and the sea was split. We cannot understand the ways of immortals. We cannot know what they know. The knowledge we have the ability to gain in a lifetime does not compare to the sum of all the knowledge there is to know ever. 



Why do bad things happen?

I don't know. It's not in my ability to know. It's not anything anyone could possibly comprehend. There IS evil in this world. Not everything is a punishment from God--but He will never give us anything that we are not capable of dealing with. He will never leave us without resources to face the trials we encounter. 

Tomorrow's reading: Job 42:1-Psalms 24:10
Have a wonderful day!
Jill Jafarace
Director of Student Ministries
New Leaf UMC



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