March 3, 2011

Job 32
“After much deliberation we have withdrawn our invitation to you to be part of our staff.” While the conversation was much longer and not quite so blunt, that was in essence what we were told. We had sold just about everything we had. We had taken all of our last year’s savings (it wasn’t much. I was only making $500.00 a month) and raised some support and travelled to Colorado to begin the process of going on staff with Campus Crusade for Christ. At the end of the first 4-5 weeks in attending their Institute of Biblical Studies, we received their final answer. It was hard. We were relatively certain that the Lord had instructed us to apply and that were to attend the training that summer for the purpose of going on staff with Crusade. But it was a time for a 180 degree turn.
We packed up our luggage and went home. It was a hot July and my Pinto had no air conditioning. We hit a grasshopper plague as we crossed the Colorado and Kansas plains. We had to roll up our windows. It was hot. We had spent all our money on IBS and were broke. I did not even have the money for first month’s rent and deposit on an apartment. I couldn’t move to seminary, because I did not have the money. Frustrated, we moved in with my parents, who were both also temporarily out of jobs. I was able to get a job at Hardees (now Carl’s Jr.) while I waited to be hired at Mercury Marine. The next few years were very frustrating emotionally.
I really did not understand why God had done this to me. It just didn’t seem fair. I really questioned my ability to discern the will of God and to do anything of spiritual significance. I felt like I was being punished by God. Although I wanted to be, I was never a good athlete. Consequently I spent a lot of time on the bench. Now, I felt like I was being put on the bench spiritually. “God, I hate the bench.”
Elihu is upset with both Job and Job’s friends. He is upset with Job’s friends because they condemned Job and yet could not give evidence of specific sins that Job had committed in order to receive his punishments. He was upset with Job because Job claimed to be completely innocent and was therefore accusing God of being unjust for putting him in this situation. Job has been benched and no one knows why. There are times when we do not and cannot understand what God is doing. What happens to us feels like a punishment from Him. In the long run, all of our pain is a result of the fact that we are sinners. We are born in a fallen world. In the short run, not all of our pain is a result of sin, nor is it an indication that He has put us on the bench. So we cannot accuse God of injustice when we experience pain, nor do we always have to come up with some kind of sin for which God is punishing us when we experience pain. But we do need to seek Him.
Years down the road, I know why God took me through that experience. There are at least three reasons. 1) It was the road of training. Through it I have ended up serving in the Christian and Missionary Alliance. That has been a good road of training for me. 2) It was the road of helping. Through it, I encouraged my Dad to apply with me at Mercury Marine. He did. He was hired one week after me. After years of struggling with unemployment, he was once again employed. We had the joy of working briefly together at Mercury. 3) It was the road of learning. I am learning that I do not always need to know what is ahead, just the next step. He always gives the next step. Isn’t that faith? That is part of His glory. He simply says, “Trust me.” He says the same thing whether it is pleasurable, painful, joyful, or tearful. In the end He shows His glory. Job hasn’t seen His glory yet, but he is about to. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john