The God who whispers in our ear

Pray: Ask God to speak to you through his word today

Consider: Has God ever whispered in your ear? What did he say?

Bible Reading:  Job 36:1-25

Insight: Elihu has not finished and has a lot more that he wants to say that will prove his argument that God is fair and righteous. And he promises to say only what he is sure to be true.

Job has suggested that God has a certain tolerance for the wicked or faithless but Elihu says the opposite, that God destroys the wicked and shows particular favour to the poor and honourable. It is as if he keeps a particular eye on them, even placing some of them in positions of public esteem. However, some virtuous people do get trapped in calamities of all kinds, but even when this happens, God kindly watches over them. He shows them where their pride has caused them to sin and then disciplines them in order to lovingly correct and restore them. If they respond to His correction Elihu believes that they will live happily ever after, the new testament though tells us that the righteous are to expect hardships, trials and persecutions.

According to Elihu, the ungodly store up God’s anger against them and while they are still young their soul dies and they live with others that are ‘unclean’. But for the righteous person, hardship and suffering is like medicine that draws them closer to Him. It enables them to hear the whisper of God in their ear.

In fact, Elihu goes on to say that if Job had accepted his suffering in the spirit in which it was meant, and learned the lessons that God was teaching him, he would have been restored already. But because of Job’s resolute attitude he is continuing to suffer and if he doesn’t change there will be nothing that can save him from certain destruction.

Job must stop asking to die, Elihu thinks this is a dreadful thing and warns Job to beware of his attitude. Even though Job had led a life of integrity, just lately he has been impatient, proud and rash. He has complained, grumbled and questioned God’s justice. He has also tried to tell God how he should be running the world.

Elihu is saying that even the most righteous people, those that on the outside appear to live a life of piety, who dedicate themselves to God find it easy to slip into bad habits and poor attitudes. He isn’t talking about things that we would consider to be ‘big sins’ but those things in our lives that just creep in almost unnoticed until one day we hear God whispering in our ear that really we should respect that family member, love that neighbour, forgive that friend, stop controlling that person.

Our job is to glorify God and Elihu thinks that Job could do this and be an example to everyone that sees him by being patient, accepting his suffering for what it is and repenting of his poor attitude. How could you glorify God today? Is God whispering in your ear about a habit or attitude that needs to be changed?

Pause: Stop and listen to the voice of God, don’t rush on.

Picture: Is there a picture in scripture or in the world around you that helps?

Ponder: Think more deeply. What else does this relate to and what else does scripture say?

No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it. (Hebrews 12:11)

Pray: Spend time in conversation with God; be completely honest and open.

Promise: Decide what needs to change, commit to it and consider writing it in your journal.

Further Reading: John Goldingay, Job for Everyone.

Thank you to Fiona Doherty for today’s Bible Reading