August 29
Job 31:1-33:33 | PS 43:1-5 | Prov 22:8-9 | 2 Cor 3:1-18
In "The Problem of Pain", C.S. Lewis writes, "God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our conscience, but shouts in our pains: it is His megaphone to rouse a deaf world." Pain and suffering are universally disliked by the person who finds oneself in the midst of it. Sometimes pain is the result of our own poor choices. But at other times, God will use pain and suffering to chasten His children, to get their eyes back on Him. Elihu points to the chastening or disciplining effects that pain can have as we read in Job 33:19-22, "“Or God disciplines people with pain on their sickbeds, with ceaseless aching in their bones. They lose their appetite for even the most delicious food. Their flesh wastes away, and their bones stick out. They are at death’s door; the angels of death wait for them." In this case, the pain can cause one to seek relief, and though Elihu did not know it, his next comments speak prophetically of Jesus Christ, who indeed would pay the ransom, declaring those who accept this payment righteous, as he said in 33:23-24, "“But if an angel from heaven appears—a special messenger to intercede for a person and declare that he is upright—he will be gracious and say, ‘Rescue him from the grave, for I have found a ransom for his life.’" The result is restoration, as we read in 33:25-26, "Then his body will become as healthy as a child’s, firm and youthful again. When he prays to God, he will be accepted. And God will receive him with joy and restore him to good standing." Though many mistakenly conclude that pain has no purpose, it can keep us awake, aware, and alive. One physician, Dr. Brand, noted as he observed the lepers in India, that this disease would destroy the nerves in their fingers, toes, and noses. This lack of pain caused them to be unaware that rats would nibble away their fingers, toes and noses, while they were sleeping. So pain indeed can have a purpose.
Elihu said in Job 32:8-9, "But there is a spirit within people, the breath of the Almighty within them, that makes them intelligent. Sometimes the elders are not wise. Sometimes the aged do not understand justice." Though gray hair is often considered to go hand in hand with wisdom, such is not always the case, as Paul said in 1 Corinthians 1:26, "Remember, dear brothers and sisters, that few of you were wise in the world’s eyes or powerful or wealthy when God called you." There are no shortage of gray haired atheists, and gray haired individuals who have built their entire lives on the wrong foundation and who have simply added traditions and misinformation to their faulty starting point. In this case, unfortunately these are gray haired fools, as we read in Proverbs 1:7, "Fear of the Lord is the foundation of true knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline." Jesus, in Matthew 7:24-27 compares and contrasts the wise and the foolish person differing on whether or not they build on the right foundation. We must never be blinded by one's age, one's eloquence, one's apparent command of a particular topic. If it does not begin and end with the wisdom of God it is mindless chatter, no matter how well it is dressed up, and should be disregarded.
If you are gong through a difficult time at the present, which many are in these tumultuous circumstances, don't spend all of your time trying to figure out how to maneuver out of it. Instead, seek God. What might He be trying to teach you? Is He seeking to get your attention? Though Paul pleaded with God to remove his "thorn in the flesh", he concluded in 2 Corinthians 12:10, "That’s why I take pleasure in my weaknesses, and in the insults, hardships, persecutions, and troubles that I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong." Concerning wisdom, even if filled with the Holy Spirit, we are capable of speaking forth wisdom when we yield to the Holy Spirit, and foolishness when we yield to the flesh. That is why John warned us in 1 John 4:1, "Dear friends, do not believe everyone who claims to speak by the Spirit. You must test them to see if the spirit they have comes from God. For there are many false prophets in the world." It is my prayer daily, as I read, and put forth this daily post that the words that are put forth are not my own, but His through me. It is my desire to be a vehicle, a vessel to be used by Him. May we stay close to Him and willingly allow Him to choose our words and our actions.
Messages from Pastor Lloyd Pulley: