Often, God uses others to confront our sin

 

Job 42:7 -  9

 

“After the Lord had spoken these words to Job, the Lord said to Eliphaz the Temanite: “My anger burns against you and against your two friends, for you have not spoken of me what is right, as my servant Job has.  Now, therefore, take seven bulls and seven rams and go to my servant Job and offer up a burnt offering for yourselves. And my servant Job shall pray for you, for I will accept his prayer not to deal with you according to your folly. For you have not spoken of me what is right, as my servant Job has.”  So Eliphaz the Temanite and Bildad the Shuhite and Zophar the Naamathite went and did what the Lord had told them, and the Lord accepted Job's prayer.”

 

Often, God uses others to confront our sin, I will never forget the action of a young man, I was staying at his home when my life was in total rebellion, wanting what I thought I wanted and not concerned that I was bringing shame on the name of my Redeemer, Jesus Christ.  One day I said something I’m not sure what and my friend Ronnie who at that time did not profess to be a follower of Christ, said something I knew was God speaking through him.  Ronnie’s reply was so powerful, “Bob, I thought you professed to be a Christian, that is not the way Christians talk or act.”  

 

Job’s three friends while trying to defend God, made wrong judgments and accusations about the reason for Job’s condition.  It became clear that they did not understand God’s love for His creation and made God out to be an insensitive enforcer of justice.

 

 I totally missed that Job's three friends had left Job and by the time they returned Job’s health was restored.  Now that may have happened the moment Job confessed or weeks later the Scripture does not give us that insight.  For them to have a right relationship with the Father they had to do as God required of them.

 

I remember one of the best Lay Renewals Jan and I went to was in Amarillo, Texas, led by my friend and mentor Jack Archer.  We had witnessed God moving in an amazing way and we had taken two or three young girls with us.  I stopped for gas and the person running the station said something to me that I reacted to in the wrong way.  The young girls heard my reply, it was harsh but not wrong, till the Lord spoke into my mind to turn around and go back the 20 or so miles and ask the man to forgive me.  I had a great argument, we had a long way to go, it was going the wrong way, but it seems God was saying, do you want to have my hand on you if so go back and ask for the man to forgive you?  I went back, the man was not into forgiveness but instead said ok, but I do not even recall who you are or why I’m forgiving you.  That was not his words, but it was close to that.  As I drove off to Houston, I understood it was not about the gas attendant, but my willingness to be obedient.  Job’s friends were obedient, and God used Job’s prayer to make them in right standing with Him.

 

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice