Job Chapter 8. Be faithful to the end.
Job's friend, Bildad, finally speaks to Job and starts off with confrontative words and accusations.
1. He basically called Job's words a bunch of hot air.
2. Accuses job of not understanding that God's judgment is upon him.
3. He accuses his kids of being sinners and that's why they died.
Bildad gives advice on what Job should do in order to be restored:
1. Job should seek God earnestly.
2. Job should plead with the Almighty.
3. Job should be pure and upright.
Bildad seemed to grow tired of Job's words and probably could not wait to butt in. His mind must have been just churning with words to speak and finally spills out accusations and solutions. The very solution Bildad was telling Job that he must do to find relief is actually what Job was already doing. Job WAS seeking God and PLEADING with the Almighty and Job was PURE and UPRIGHT.
Once again we must realize Good and Evil comes to all. Joy and sadness hits us all.
The blanket answer for our trials and tribulations we face is not: We are living in sin and must repent and turn to God.
Sure there is wisdom in evaluating our lives and seeking God to reveal sin in our lives so we can repent from them. There's great wisdom in that. But I think we're too quick to assume someone is evil rather than see our trials and tribulations as opportunities to be challenged in our faith and to grow closer to the Lord. The key word for me in this passage is: FAITHFULNESS.
We need to be faithful to the Lord always. We need to be faithful when things are going well and when things are not going well
Proverbs 3:3 instructs us to never let steadfast love and faithfulness leave us. In fact, we should bind steadfast love and faithfulness around our neck and write them on our hearts. In other words, it should be so much a part of us they will never be able to leave us.
Revelations 2:10 at the end says if we are faithful to our death, then we will receive the crown of Life.
Faithfulness is a demonstration of our faith. Am I faithful to the Lord when things are going well and am I faithful to the Lord when things are not going well at all?
Bildad had just spent the past seven days and nights on the ground with Job along with the other two friends. That had to show that he cared about his friend, but when he finally responds to what Job has just spoken, I’m sure that his words weren’t what Job wanted to hear. While Bildad’s diagnosis and prescription for Job seems to be logical and reasonable based on what he has observed, there is much more involved that he is unaware of in Job’s situation. This made me think about how careful we need to be when giving advice to anyone. We don’t always see the whole picture or know their whole story. At the same time, I can’t think of it ever being a bad idea to encourage someone to seek the Lord and draw closer to Him. Only God knows everything and that includes what is truly in our hearts.
I’m reminded of James 4:7-8.
Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.