Hope Series 26

Job 42:7a - Then The Lord said to Eliphaz, "I am angry with you and your two friends, for you have not been right in what you have said about Me, as My servant Job was."


                Theme: Hope for Job's Friends
 
God made it clear that Job's friends were wrong. Job's friends made the mistakes of guessing that Job's suffering was caused by some great sin. They were judging Job without knowing what God was doing. This should warn us to avoid making any rash judgments about a person we "think we know" because God may be working in ways we know nothing about.

Does Job's friends have any hope of forgiveness from God and from Job? Yes, God gave them an instruction what they must do. They were to take some animals for burnt offering and go to Job for offering. God said for Job to pray and intercede for them.  When Job prayed for his friends, The Lord gave back everything he had lost, but this time, twice as much as before (Job 42:8-10).

What can we learn from this? After Job receiving much criticism, Job was still able to pray for his three friends. Is it difficult to forgive someone who has accused us of wrong doing? Job gave us a perfect example that he did forgave his friends. Job prayed for them when they had hurt him. Job forgave them. Can we forgive our friends who hurt us?

God called Job a good man and God had Job prayed for them. Their only hope was through Job's intercession for them. If your friends have hurt you and God might be angry at them for hurting you, would you pray to God and ask Him to spare them from His anger and cover them with the blood of Jesus and ask God to save their soul?

The key to all this one verse: "Humble yourself in the sight of the Lord and He will lift you up." (James 4:10) I have quoted this so often when I had faced some challenges of criticism. God will reward you when you pray for them. There's peace in forgiveness.

So trust God today!

Dorothy

PS. I know it's long, but I believe that many of us might have faced this. I love this devotion because of who God was and still is through the story of Job. This soften my heart about God Himself. I love Him!