Brother Job, Where are You?

Thursday   11-5-15  Home in Modesto packing for El Salvador

Scripture reading:    Job 28 - 29      Galatians 1 - 2

S=Scripture O=Observation A=Application P=Prayer  SOAP for the soul.

S.  Job 28:1-5 "People know how to mine silver and refine gold.  They know how to dig iron from the earth and smelt copper from stone.  They know how to put light into darkness and explore the farthest, darkest regions of the earth as they search for ore.  They sink a mine shaft into the earth far from where anyone lives. They descend on ropes, swinging back and forth.”  NLT

O.  Job chapters 28 and 29 both are beautifully written and describe much about the culture of his day.  But “Job, where are you... in the ancient time-clock?”  It is commonly felt by those that have examined this book thoroughly that Job lived perhaps 500 years before Moses, who wrote the book of Genesis... probably in the age between the Tower of Babel and the time of Abraham.  

I am intrigued by the fact that men so long ago risked their lives to mine gold, silver, iron, copper and precious stones.  Who ever told man that gold was valuable enough to risk one’s life to harvest it from the bowels of the earth?  Man grins and holds up his bag of gold and says, “Look at me!  Ain’t I smart?”

But Job is leading up to something.  He sets us straight by putting it all in perspective with his final statement of chapter 28.   'The fear of the Lord is true wisdom; to forsake evil is real understanding.'  NLT

A.  I can make a choice here.  The options are clearly revealed.  I can either spend my life... and even risk it... to accumulate gold, silver and precious stones or I can spend it... and even risk it... for God’s revealed higher values.   

P.  Lord, I think I am getting the message.  I am surrounded by a world teaming with men and women dashing in all directions, spending their lives and yes, some even risking their lives to accumulate man’s values.  Help me Lord to lift my eyes to place my priorities upon Your highest values.  All these other values are “time-limited.”  Their benefits are confined to the brief span of our lives.  Your values not only benefit me and those around me in this life, but carry me into an eternity of fellowship with You.  Amen.

Ralph