Journeying With Those Facing Challenges
BRD REFLECTIONS:
Job 8 and Psalm 119:89-96 (NIV)
(Koh Geok Cheng, Glowing Years Ministry Chairperson)
READ:
Job 8 (NIV)
5 But if you will seek God earnestly
and plead with the Almighty,
6 if you are pure and upright,
even now he will rouse himself on your behalf
and restore you to your prosperous state.
7 Your beginnings will seem humble,
so prosperous will your future be.
Job 8:5-7 (NIV)
OBSERVE:
As I read Bildad’s arguments in Job 8 from the above verses, it is true that we need to seek God in humility, repent of our sins and then God will forgive us and give us a new life in Him.
However, Bildad’s view that difficulties in Job’s life were caused by his hidden sins is not correct. There are other reasons that God allows trials in our lives.
2 Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3 because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. 4 Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything (James 1:2-4)
Instead of comforting Job and praying with him, Bildad, like Job’s other friends, was self-righteous and insensitive, trying to find out his hidden sins.
APPLY:
When my loved ones and friends face challenges, I should not think about what hidden sins they have that caused their challenges. Instead, I need to show God’s love and care to them, pray for them and support them with compassion.
If they are evidently caused by sins, I will pray for God’s wisdom to help me talk to them and help them change.
DO:
- I have to make time to reach out to loved ones and friends facing challenges
- I can pray for those facing challenges
- I can offer help to support them in their challenges with compassion.
PRAY:
Dear Lord Jesus, thank You for showing Your love, grace and mercy despite my sinfulness. As You have shown me compassion, give me a heart of compassion and love to reach out to loved ones and friends facing challenges. If there is any self-righteousness in my thoughts and ways, please help me remove them as You reveal them to me. Continue to give me strength and perseverance to reach out and journey with those facing challenges, pray for them and support them with Your love and grace. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.
