Devotions 02-12-06

Job 33-37
In Job 32:18 Elihu's statement describes himself well. "For I am full of words; the spirit within me constrains me." The next five chapters is filled with the
words of Elihu. In Chapter 33 he claims to speak for God. That is a dangerous thing to assume. Later on God says that Elihu was not speaking for Him. So what is happening here?

My thoughts are that a young man who is eager to get to solutions is pressing ahead and not being patient to learn from his elders. There is a whole lot that he could learn from Job if he would quit looking at the present situation and try to see things more broadly. It is interesting that in the last chapter of Job that the three elder friends of Job are rebuked but the young man was not. I think God just saw the young man as being zealous but just so uninformed that rebuking him was not necessary. He just needed time to grow and learn from others even those he rebuked in his youth.

I have been rebuked many times as I have been seeking to minister to others. I have listened and evaluated and acknowledged that some of what they said could be true but much of their observations was wrong. I would try to correct their conclusions as much as I could, just like Job, but many times I would just love them in their desire to do God's will. Eventually as they matured in the Lord they would learn that they had spoken in their immaturity and come back to me and ask for my forgiveness. I readily forgave them and rejoiced in the fact that they were now mature and humbly serving the Lord and being patient with others as I had been patient with them.

Lord, I am so grateful for those who were patient with me in my growing up years in Christ. I am grateful for the grace You have given me as I seek to help others in their maturing process. Of course my greatest example is that of our Lord Jesus. It is like Peter rebuking Jesus for things He had said. Can you imagine rebuking the Lord of all creation! Peter had a good heart but he was immature and had a lot to learn. Still Jesus loved him and gave him much responsibility in the building of the Kingdom of God. Lord, thank You for the book of Job and all I can learn in studying this book You have placed in Your Eternal Book.