Thursday, August 17, 2017

Our Hope in Times of Trouble

My reading plan today put chapter 27 & 28 in Job next to Psalm 46. These chapters could almost be written one right after the other because of their similar message. They present a stark contrast between the ways of man and the ways of God. In Job 27, he is pushing back against his friends that are not being real friendly. While they are telling him to humble himself and repent of the sin that he is obviously being punished for, Job still holds to his integrity.

In all of his troubles, Job takes the time and gives us a wonderful section about where his hope rests. He talks about people who have their trust anywhere but in God. They have not hope of being heard when they are in trouble. Whatever they rely upon can be taken away in an instant. The task of holding on to these things is on him and him alone. Thus, he is always fearful of what could ruin what he has amassed.

In chapter 28, he looks for significance in everything he does. He is able to find and use the different minerals in the earth: gold, silver, iron, copper. He even makes stone tools and uses them to build things. People can go into any work but in the end, they do not find what they are looking for.

In verse 12, Job tells of their futility by saying “But where shall wisdom be found?” The next few verses, he tells that wisdom far surpasses any and all jewels in value.  Then in the very last verse, he states that “Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom, and to turn away from evil is understanding.” In the end, our significance is found in God alone. From that perspective, we can see the world and gain a true understanding of what is going on.

Psalm 46 continues this idea by praising God as our “refuge and strength, a very help in trouble.” Verses 10 & 11 say “Be still and know that I am God… The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress.” In times of trouble, the godless person has no hope but the God-fearing man has hope.

We have deep troubles in our world today. Can we look to society to save us? Can we look to our government? Can we insulate ourselves and pour into our jobs or our financial position to find security? Job tells us no. All of those things will not last. Why does Job find hope in God? Because he is a rock and a fortress. He will last. Thus, we can build our lives on him instead of these other things that will fail us.


What is the fear of the Lord? The fear of the Lord is an inward attitude of humble reverence towards God, in light of his self-revelation, that results in an outward expression of Christlikeness. If we see God correctly, it will change our lives. We will see everything differently and we will act differently. God gives us a new way of understanding the world around us. Will you heed God’s plea today: “Be still and know that I am God”.