Dale Ridge church of Christ

            One of the great treasures of the Book of Job is in its reminders to us of our greatest needs:  1) It is a book which stresses mankind’s need of sympathy and empathy; 2) It is a book which emphasizes our need of companionship; 3) It is a book which places stress upon man’s need of Christ, the perfect Mediator.  Yet, it also is a book which highlights the intense desire we ought to have for fellowship with God.

            As the book begins, Job is seen as personally sensing that he has access to God (Job 1:5).  He approaches God “continually” as he offers sacrifices to Him on behalf of his children.  At this stage in his life, I think we could safely say that he is enjoying fellowship with God, and it is imperative to him that his children benefit from this fellowship as well. 

This fellowship is so vital to the well being of Job that if it were taken away, he would be devastated.  (Very likely, the very thing which Job greatly feared and came upon him (Job 3:25) was being separated from God.)  When he is stricken with his severe case of suffering, he thinks that this fellowship with God has been stripped from him.  His friend Eliphaz informs him that if he cries out, there will be no one to answer him (Job 1:5). 

Job believed that God has disowned him (Job 30:20-21; Job 27:9).  Job, confused and desperate, imagined would it would be like to enjoy access and communication with his God once again(Job 23:3-7).  He frantically searched for God but was unable to find Him (Job 23:8-9).  He is mocked by his friends as one who calls upon God but receives no answer (Job 12:4).  No matter how long it would take, Job would be willing to wait to communicate with God (Job 14:12-14).  In his final major speech, Job cries out, “Oh that one would hear me!  Behold, my desire is, that the Almighty would answer me. . .” (Job 31:35).

Many, in the midst of suffering, often feel like Job.  They feel that in some way, God has turned against them and for some reason sees them as an enemy (Job 6:4; Job 13:24; Job 19:21).  The one thing, however,  that readers of the book know but of which Job was not aware  is Job’s feelings were unwarranted.  God had not turned His back on Job—fellowship had not been taken away.  This supposed fractured fellowship was only due to Job’s erroneous thinking.  In the end, God spoke to Job, and in doing so, Job repented and once again enjoyed the fellowship he thought had been taken away (Job 42:12).

May we realize that:  every person may have access or fellowship with God by obedience to the Gospel (Romans 5:1-2); that He has a purpose for us in our sufferings (Romans 5:3-4); that God’s greatest desire is for every person to be saved (Romans 5:6-9); and that no person is beyond the reach of God’s ability to save (Romans 5:12-21).

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Filed under: Devotional, Michael Carter on December 27th, 2008