Consumed by the Past and the Future

 Job 14:1-6

 

“Man, who is born of a woman is few of days and full of trouble.  He comes out like a flower and withers; he flees like a shadow and continues not.  And do you open your eyes on such a one and bring me into judgment with you?  Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean?  There is not one. Since his days are determined, and the number of his months is with you, and you have appointed his limits that he cannot pass, look away from him and leave him alone, that he may enjoy, like a hired hand, his day.”

As a person who made a living in sales, it was imperative to know whom I was addressing, for my message to the warehouse or counter person was very different from the manager or owner.  Who is Job addressing, is it not his Creator, and how important is it when the created talks to their Creator?  I am fearful that often we the Church of the Living God enter into those conversations in the same way I talked with the person stocking the warehouse.  I have heard men in leadership say let us have a quick word of prayer as if to say let’s get this out of the way so we can do the important thing.  What a dangerous and foolish thing to say.

 

I believe Job gave a lot of thought to his words, for he had a fear of addressing a Holy God.  Now we are on this side of the Cross and Jesus has made it crystal clear that in this world we will have trouble.  The wonderful news is Jesus also told us He has overcome the world (John 16:33).  But Job before the Cross has insight into that truth.  

 

I visited my employer of over 40 years, and I’ve been gone only 13 years and only a handful of people knew who I was, yes we show up like a flower and soon wither, Job said like a shadow.  In verse four Job wonders why God would waste His time with mankind in that we are here today and gone tomorrow.  Why bring him to judgment, Job never claimed he was without sin, no his question was why am I in this mess?  Job had no clue what was taking place in heaven, but it would be rare for you or me to not know the why.  Blaise Pascal lived in the 1600s and gave us many insights, this is one of them; “Man is but a reed, the most feeble thing in nature, but he is a thinking reed.”

 

Job understood that God has set a date for life on earth to end, and that is an absolute, but then eternity, and that is why one must seek Jesus in this life so that eternity is with God.

 

Let us end today with this quote from Blaise Pascal, “If we examine our thoughts, we shall find them always occupied with the past and the future.”  The past is history, and yes we can learn from it.  The future has not been promised and we have little control over it.  Wise people will put their hope in Christ and ask for guidance from the Holy Spirit.

 

 

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice