<\/p>\n

$\"\"$ <\/p>\n

\u201cgave himself to worship.\u201d<\/p>\n

That means he gave it ALL in worship, holding nothing back. That is shocking. Even normal grief says you cry and fuss a while. Now my curiosity is piqued. How? How is it that this man\u2019s response and reaction to devastation and suffering is so unique and beautiful? I think he must have developed an intimate relationship with God beforehand<\/em>. Worship would not have been my first thought. He punched the wall, he drank, he screamed, he kicked the cat, yes. Worship? It almost seems foreign, yet this godly man knew exactly what to do in a time of trial. I\u2019ve only seen that response once or twice in my life but when it happens you connect with Heaven.<\/p>\n

We like to spiritualize. When hard times come our way maybe we go to church or read a few more scriptures but Job threw himself into worship \u2013 the wholehearted praise of God. He didn\u2019t first take a day of vacation or get everyone\u2019s input. He goes to his ONE Source \u2013 God. Not a priest, prophet, leader or spouse but God Himself. He went to the One who could make a difference. Maybe this book is not about Job. Maybe this book isn\u2019t even about his suffering. Like Esther where God is not mentioned but we see God\u2019s sovereignty, maybe this is a book that talks a lot about God, yet it is about Him being Lord.<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s check his friends out:<\/p>\n

2:13 \u201cSo they sat down with him upon the ground seven days and seven nights, and none spoke a word unto him: for they saw that his grief was very great.\u201d Those are amazing friends if they can listen and keep silent for that long! At first, they didn\u2019t try to fix Job \u2013 they just listened. That\u2019s a rare gift to find someone to sit with you in your pain and just share your heart. Job was closest to his divine friend: 16:19 \u201cmy advocate is on high. My intercessor is my friend as my eyes pour out tears to God; on behalf of a man he pleads with God as one pleads for a friend. Job goes on to declare who this friend is: Job 19, \u201cI know that my redeemer lives,
\n and that in the end he will stand on the earth. And after my skin has been destroyed, yet in my flesh I will see God; I myself will see him with my own eyes\u2014I, and not another. How my heart yearns within me!<\/p>\n

This may be key to everything \u2013 this suffering WILL END. There WILL come a day where torment stops and we encounter GOD Himself. Hope increases.<\/p>\n

While many commentaries focus on what Job lost, it is interesting to me to realize what he first had. Surely God\u2019s favor had been on him before tragedy struck: Job 29; \u201cOh, for the days when I was in my prime, when God\u2019s intimate friendship blessed my house, when the Almighty was still with me and my children were around me, then my path was drenched with cream and the rock poured out for me streams of olive oil.\u201d<\/p>\n

It seems that what Job missed most, what Job wanted most, what Job sought for most \u2013 was God\u2019s friendship to be restored. He knew God as friend, so he could turn to HIM. He knew God was good, so he could worship Him. I think the greater suffering is not having hope that things will get better or knowing what that would be like. Job knew what was possible because he had been close to God in the past. He could picture in his mind what restoration and return looked like. His point of reference, his baseline, his life was wrapped around God.<\/p>\n

The middle chapters of Job are good but wearisome as his friends do some intervention type meetings that fall short. He calls them worthless physicians, everyone. I like this poem that one of my supervisors shared with us this week:<\/p>\n

A New Serenity Prayer<\/strong>
\nBy Fr. James Martin, SJ<\/a> — The Jesuit Post<\/a><\/p>\n

Nov.10, 2012<\/a> <\/p>\n

God, grant me the serenity
\nto accept the people I cannot change,
\nwhich is pretty much everyone,
\nsince I\u2019m clearly not you, God.
\nAt least not the last time I checked.<\/p>\n

And while you\u2019re at it, God,
\nplease give me the courage
\nto change what I need to change about myself,
\nwhich is frankly a lot, since, once again,
\nI\u2019m not you, which means I\u2019m not perfect.
\nIt\u2019s better for me to focus on changing myself
\nthan to worry about changing other people,
\nwho, as you\u2019ll no doubt remember me saying,
\nI can\u2019t change anyway.<\/p>\n

Finally, give me the wisdom to just shut up
\nwhenever I think that I\u2019m clearly smarter
\nthan everyone else in the room,
\nthat no one knows what they\u2019re talking about except me,
\nor that I alone have all the answers.<\/p>\n

Basically, God,
\ngrant me the wisdom
\nto remember that I\u2019m
\nnot you.<\/p>\n

Amen<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

I need this. Job\u2019s friends need this. Maybe\u2026 someone sitting next to you needs this? After reading it I read this in Job: \u201cJob 37. The Almighty is beyond our reach and exalted in power; in his justice and great righteousness, he does not oppress. 24 Therefore, people revere Him\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

Giving our whole selves in worship no matter what the circumstance, sitting with people in silence, hearing God speak over the shouts and screams of our suffering may take a lifetime to understand. We often hear about the patience or perseverance of Job. I\u2019d like to tweak that just a bit. After studying this book, I think it speaks to my heart more like this, \u201cthe posture of Job\u201d. I want that. I need that, because it seems that everything else is irrelevant if we have that one thing in place. God is BIG, WISE, Wonderful. I\u2019m not Him, nor do I speak for Him or direct Him. Oh, the POSTURE of Job.<\/p>\n

The song that ministered to me while studying this book was I\u2019m listening<\/span> by Chris McClarney and Hollyn. I want to hear Him, I want Him to hear me. I want to hear others and pray for them to the God that hears all. The next book we study is Psalms. If our hearts are postured before God, the praises and worship can flow. Wow, God\u2019s word is so connected, and its purpose is to bend our hearts to God\u2019s will.<\/p>\n

So, Lord:<\/p>\n

We posture our hearts, lives and will before You now.<\/p>\n

You are the Lord God Almighty and we surrender to YOU. We are listening, listening, listening.<\/p>\n

We are ready to hear and obey. We don\u2019t want to miss one word YOU speak, so quiet our hearts we are<\/p>\n

LISTENING.<\/p>\n

RenaeRoche2019<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"