Don't Judge God Too Quickly - Job 41-42 and Acts 16:22-40
As we finish reading God's message to Job and then, Job's reply to God, we finally get to learn the end of the story. God blessed Job with twice as much as he had before the trials began, and he lived another 140 years to enjoy the blessings. God is His goodness was so gracious to Job after all. So, what proved to be the problem which led Job and his friends to miss what God was doing? They jumped to conclusions. They judged God's actions too quickly. They did not wait to see the full picture of what God was doing, so they came to the wrong understanding. In the end, there was no need for Job to question God, was there? If he had been patient and waited on the Lord, trusting His goodness, Job would not have felt the need to question God and contend with Him. If his friends had stopped to see what was going on, they would not have condemned Job as a wicked man. Looking back they could see how God was working to bless Job, not to punish or destroy him. Job's trial and suffering were a powerful witness to Satan and to us that a person can have real faith in God, even through very difficult times. However, to prove all of these things took time, and Job and his friends did not give God time to show them what He was doing. We make the same mistake all of the time, if we are not careful.
Paul and Silas could have fallen in the same trap. They were arrested, beaten badly, and put in the deepest part of a terrible prison. They could have been singing the blues, but they were singing praises at midnight. God sent an earthquake, and the jailer and his family were saved. Then, the leaders of the city had to apologize to them before they left town. What a turnaround! What a difference some time made! If they had judged quickly, they might have missed God's blessings. Instead, they won several victories from the Lord. What is God doing in your life? Are you giving Him time, or have you given up on God? Have you jumped to the wrong conclusions about what God is doing in your life? I hope each of us will be patient and wait on the Lord. If we will do that, we will see His goodness, as we remain faithful to Him through the hard times and the silent times.
Tomorrow, I intend to read Psalms 1-3 and Acts 17:1-15.
Paul and Silas could have fallen in the same trap. They were arrested, beaten badly, and put in the deepest part of a terrible prison. They could have been singing the blues, but they were singing praises at midnight. God sent an earthquake, and the jailer and his family were saved. Then, the leaders of the city had to apologize to them before they left town. What a turnaround! What a difference some time made! If they had judged quickly, they might have missed God's blessings. Instead, they won several victories from the Lord. What is God doing in your life? Are you giving Him time, or have you given up on God? Have you jumped to the wrong conclusions about what God is doing in your life? I hope each of us will be patient and wait on the Lord. If we will do that, we will see His goodness, as we remain faithful to Him through the hard times and the silent times.
Tomorrow, I intend to read Psalms 1-3 and Acts 17:1-15.