Thursday, January 15, 2009

Job - Are You A Risk-Taker?

Job 2:7-10 So Satan went out from the presence of the LORD and afflicted Job with painful sores from the soles of his feet to the top of his head. Then Job took a piece of broken pottery and scraped himself with it as he sat among the ashes. His wife said to him, "Are you still holding on to your integrity? Curse God and die!" He replied, "You are talking like a foolish woman. Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble?" In all this, Job did not sin in what he said.

A boil usually appears suddenly as a painful pink or red bump. The surrounding skin also may be red and swollen. Within a few days, the bump fills with pus. It grows larger and more painful, sometimes reaching golf ball size before it develops a yellow-white tip that finally ruptures and drains. Boils generally clear completely in a couple weeks, though it can take a month or more. Boils can occur anywhere on your skin, but appear mainly on your face, neck, armpits, buttocks or thighs, hair-bearing areas where you're most likely to sweat or experience friction - www.mayoclinic.com

OUCH. Assuming that these were the types of boils Job had, we're looking at a good two weeks of this pain. First of all, he's removed himself from his house and everyone else and is sitting in the ashes (it's contagious). Job is not feeling sorry for himself, he's getting away from everyone so as not to infect them as well.

Don't you love the people who complain about everything. My gout is killing me. My knee can't bend anymore. My arthritis is acting up. BOILS have infected the whole of Job's body and he removes himself from physical contact with people. Then, to make matters worse, his wife comes out to him to tell him to die. Can you imagine? You are in pain, all alone, scraping yourself with broken pottery and then off in the distance you see your wife coming to you. And when she arrives, she tells you to curse God and die.

What a man Job was. Through his suffering (the kind where you just want to give in to whatever anyone tells you to do) he stood up for his God and basically told his wife she was a moron (again, Dorothy interpretation). I am in no way endorsing this type of conversation with your spouse, but it certainly does give us some insight. There are people all around us who need to hear the gospel. In my last post, I was rather adamant in what our goal is as Christians - showing Christ to others. Sometimes those 'others' might be the aborigine in Australia - but sometimes, it might just be our spouse or our child or our boss or our parent. Are you willing to risk being mocked and stand up for God by sharing His Word with someone close to you that needs to hear it?

5 comments:

Sharon said...

What a great post you have posted, and the explanation is soooo good. Isn't it sad what she did to him, I can't believe someone that is in so much pain that his wife would turn her back on him like that. What if wives did that today, there would be alot of men out there very alone, so selfish of her, makes me wanna cry.
Great post, so thought provoking!
Thanks
Have a blessed and beautiful day
Love,
Sharon

Kay Martin said...

God's call on my life has been a radical call to bridge the races to worship Him and minister to inmates, illiterates, crisis pregnancy, etc. No one in my family of card caring church members, leaders, etc. never worked actively in these areas.

Recently In prayer God showed me the embarrasment confusion etc. this call has been for my family members. This finally explained some conflicts I had with them through the years.

Job heard from God; Mrs. Job heard from human Job what he communicated to her what he heard. I feel for her...I don't excuse her; but I feel compassion for her. I sense that same compassion for my family members and I say with Joseph "...you meant it for harm, but God meant it for good." Job was tested with all that "CHATTER" from Mrs. Job and he passed the test. As he was blessed laviously she received all that blessing as his wife. She stayed by him; even if she was "mouthy."

Greg C said...

No more photo's please. I already had a clear picture of what was happening to Job. I have a weak stomach. In a way I am like Job. When I am sick, I just want to be alone. Not for the same reasons though, I just want it to be quiet. In addition to being mocked, some have been killed in His name. This is getting more and more common. It scares me but I keep speeking up.

debrah said...

I am amazed that Job's focus what not on his own pain...he thought of others and removed himself...then rather than trying to elicit compassion from his wife for the pain he was suffering...He boldly proclaimed the truth...it is one thing to proclaim such truth when you are not the one who is experiencing the pain...such as praying for those who are persecuted for their faith that they would forgive those who persecute them...we can and should include that as part of our prayer for them...but their are so many who are actually living this out...they are forgiving and praying for those who persecute them...Lord I fall so short of living a a servant of the most high God. Thank you for posting this and for stirring conviction within my heart, mind and spirit...
In His Love,
Debrah

sailorcross said...

I don't have boils (thank you, God!) but I have been mocked for my beliefs. As I think you know, my own family no longer has anything to do with me or my children because of my beliefs and strong convictions.

Did this hurt and cause me pain? Yes, it most certainly did. It took time and mentoring with my spiritual family to heal these wounds. The one statement that stays with me through all of this as it is still continuing is this: "And who was persecuted for your sake?"

That statement alone gave me the strength to approach this situation not out of anger, but out of love. My family still doesn't speak to me at all, but I do pray for them. This wasn't my instant reaction though as Job's was.

My first reactions were hurt, then anger, then finally seeing my way through Jesus' love to show my love for them in the only and best way--prayer.

Thanks for another great post and insight, Dorothy!!

Beth