Job 32-37: Elihu's Monologue

A new character comes onto the scene in Job 32, but from what he says we realize he has been present observing this entire discourse among Job and his three friends.  Job 32-37 consists entirely of a rebuke made to Job and his three friends by this young man named Elihu.  Out of respect, he bit his tongue and let his elders argue about the matter of Job's sufferings.  But he finally had enough of their foolish talk.

Now Elihu had waited to speak to Job because they were older than he. And when Elihu saw that there was no answer in the mouth of these three men, he burned with anger.  (Job 32:4-5)


All I can say is--I've been there.  It is very frustrating to watch people who should possess great wisdom, and in many ways seem to, yet give ungodly counsel to people or lead the church astray.  We are blessed in the body of Christ to have some wonderful men and women that are in the fall and winter years of their lives, who have given godly guidance to the younger men and women in their spheres of influence.  I am super-blessed to have one of those precious Titus 2 women right down at the end of my street!  Unfortunately, this is not true of everyone wearing their "crown of silver hair" on their heads.  Dear one, if it doesn't line up with God's Word or His character, run from that counsel!

1. According to 32:8, from where does understanding come?
2. What warning does Elihu give in verse 13?
3. Based on the description in 18-22, why is Elihu speaking to them?  Have you ever felt that way?
4. Is Elihu trying to impress them or win their favor? 

In chapter 33, Elihu speaks with very humble and sincere words, assuring them he is not trying to elevate himself above them but rather serve them with the wisdom given to him by God.

1. In 33:12, what reason does he give for them to listen to his words?
2. How does the fear of the Lord help a man, according to verse 18 and 22-23?
3. What is the good news in verse 24?

"He is merciful to him, and says, 'Deliver him from going down into the pit; I have found a ransom...."  (Job 33:24; emphasis mine)

Sister, that is GOOD NEWS!  That ransom is Jesus Christ!

I'm going to give you the ESV translation of this passage, as well as capitalize the pronouns referring to God, because I believe it more accurately portrays what is going on here.

then man prays to God, and He accepts him;    he sees His face with a shout of joy, and He restores to man his righteousness.  (Job 33:26)

1. How do we receive this deliverance from the pit?  So simple it's hard to believe--beginning of v. 26.
2. How does God respond to our prayer for deliverance?  v. 26
3. What does our gracious God restore to us when we call out to Him in prayer for deliverance?  (end of v. 26)

Now read the HCSB version of that same verse:

   He will pray to God, and God will delight in him.
     That man will behold His face with a shout of joy,
     and God will restore his righteousness to him.

Such a simple thing!  Prayer!  Yet have we seen Job do this yet since his three friends came to make sense of his mess?  Did they come in as his brothers in the Lord and say, "Let's take this matter before God in prayer"?  Hardly.  Oh let us learn greatly from this, fellow believers.  May we always begin by falling on our knees in prayer together.

The rest of this passage is rich, so let's read on:

²⁷He sings before men and says:
'I sinned and perverted what was right,
   and it was not repaid to me.  (hallelujah, Lord! -- I just had to interject that)²⁸He has redeemed my soul from going down into the pit,
   and my life shall look upon the light.'
 ²⁹"Behold, God does all these things,
   twice, three times, with a man,³⁰to bring back his soul from the pit,
   that he may be lighted with the light of life.  (Job 33:27-30)


Glory to God!  Praise His holy name!  He alone is worthy of our adoration and praise for all His goodness to us!


Sister, I hope you got the beauty of the message in those verses.  Since we know that "all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God" (Rom. 3:23), those words above are our own:
     Lord God, "I sinned and perverted what was right, and it was not repaid to me."  Thank you, Father, for loving me so very much that you gave your one and only Son as the ransom for my sin.  You placed the stain and shame of my sin upon Jesus, and you gave me instead His righteousness.  It was my sin He bore upon the cross.  Now I stand before You, forgiven and clean.  Thank you for loving me more than I will ever understand this side of heaven.  I love you, too, Lord.


In chapter 34, Elihu points out man's tendency to believe we have certain rights that we deserve from God.  

1. What does Elihu say about God in 34:10, 12?
2. We can insist on our rights, and demand justice from God, but what is the reality of man before God?  See v. 14.
3. Elihu asks an awesome question in v. 17b ("b" just means the second part of the verse).  What is it?

Following this excellent question, Elihu goes on to point out the incredible justice of God and how powerful is the Holy One of heaven.  Then he really lays into Job in chapter 35.  

"Because of the multitude of oppressions people cry out;
   they call for help because of the arm of the mighty.
But none says, 'Where is God my Maker,
   who gives songs in the night,
who teaches us more than the beasts of the earth
   and makes us wiser than the birds of the heavens?'
There they cry out, but he does not answer,
   because of the pride of evil men.
Surely God does not hear an empty cry,
   nor does the Almighty regard it."  (Job 35:9-13; emphasis mine)

This brings to mind every time a tragic event happens in our world, especially in the U.S.  People come together all over the country to pray to God, crying out for His help in the midst of the tragedy.  But over time, most go back to their passive relationship with God--or ignore Him altogether.  Empty cries from prideful hearts.

These people forget all the goodness of God, forget to praise and thank Him for all His great wonders, as verses 10-11 point out.  Oh that we, the people of God and followers of Jesus Christ, would not fall into this same trap of the Enemy!  May we always remember that God is good, and cry out to Him from humble hearts of worship, realizing He holds our lives in His hands and we deserve nothing yet receive everything because of His grace alone.

This is a MUST for memory!

For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.  (Ephesians 2:8-9)


This is a foundational verse of the Christian faith, and I am so thankful it was my Confirmation verse as a young teen.


In the next two chapters, Elihu proclaims God's greatness and majesty.  Here is your assignment.

• Glance over ch. 36-37 again (read them carefully if you have not already), and find every description of God's greatness, majesty and power.  Highlight them, underline them, write them down in your notebook...whatever you prefer to do.
• use some of these descriptions to make Scripture prayer cards like we've talked about.  When you are feeling overwhelmed by life, a verse like this can set your heart at rest:
• Out of the north comes golden splendor; You are clothed, Lord God, with awesome majesty.  The Almighty—we cannot find You.  You are great in power.  Justice and abundant righteousness You will not violate.  Therefore men fear You; You do not regard any who are wise in their own conceit.  How I praise You, Lord God, for Your majesty!  How I thank You that I am Your child and need not fear anyone or anything.  You are a God of justice, and I can entrust my life into Your hands.  (my prayer version of  Job 37:22-24)

God spoke in wisdom through Elihu.  He may have been the youngest one there, but he obviously had the fear of the Lord which had given him great wisdom.  The apostle Paul would one day encourage his protege Timothy to do the same.

Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity.  (1 Timothy 4:12)

What example are you setting?  What example are you following?

If you are following the example of Jesus Christ, you are on a path to righteousness and wisdom.

Job and Jesus

Our discussion of Job yesterday was quite an interesting one, and I'm sorry for those of you who missed it. We wrestled together over this difficult book of suffering.  What a good and godly thing for fellow believers to do.

I promised those of you who were there that I would share those Scripture addresses with you so you could look them up, especially the ones I recommend that you memorize.  So here they are, along with many more I am adding for your time of digging deeper with God.

1. Does God ever tempt anyone to commit evil or omit the good?  see James 1:12-14
2. Who, then can be held accountable for the prevalence of evil in this world? 
1. the devil (I am sharing many verses that explain the devil's tactics, as well as what Jesus has to say about him and the final destiny of Satan.  I know there are a lot, but when you are fighting a battle it is important to know your Enemy and how he will likely attack.  So do the hard work of a soldier and look up every verse to equip you for victory through Jesus!)
1. Mark 4:15
2. Luke 4:13
3. Luke 8:12; Matt. 13:39; 2 Cor. 4:4
4. Luke 10:18 
5. Matt. 25:41-43
6. Luke 13:16
7. John 8:44
8. Luke 22:3: John 13:2, 27
9. Luke 22:31
10. Acts 10:38
11. Romans 16:20 -- "Krutta Moni!"
12. 1 Cor. 7:5
13. 2 Cor. 2:11
14. 2 Cor. 11:14
15. 2 Cor. 12:7-10
16. Eph. 4:26-27
17. Eph. 6:10-12
18. 1 Thess. 2:18
19. 2 Thess. 2:9
20. 1 Tim. 5:11-15
21. 2 Tim. 2:22-26
22. James 4:7
23. 1 Peter 5:8-9
24. 1 John 3:7-11
25. Rev. 2:8-10
26. Rev. 2:12-14
27. Rev. 3:8-10
28. Rev. 12:8-10
29. Rev. 12:12
30. Rev. 20:10-11 (victory!)
2. the world
1. Rom. 12:2
2. 1 Cor. 1:20; 3:19
3. 1 Cor. 2:12
4. 2 Cor. 7:10
5. Col. 2:8
6. James 1:27
7. James 4:1-4
8. 1 John 2:14-16
9. 1 John 4:4-6
10. 1 John 5:4-6
11. 1 Jon 5:18-20
12. Jude 1:18-19
3. the flesh
1. Romans 1:26-27
2. Romans 8:5-8
3. Galatians 5:19-21
4. 1 Peter 2:11
5. 2 Peter 2:17-19
6. Jude 1:23

I think this is where we need to go back to our study of Genesis 1-3 and remember that God did not create or cause evil--Satan and man brought it into the world.  If anyone is to blame, it is the devil and us.  Let us be careful not to accuse God of being anything but good!  

Remember the condition of His creation at the end of Genesis 1--very good.  We were the ones who were deceived, listening to Satan and doubting God, and messed up the whole beautiful world He had so perfectly created for us to enjoy with Him.  Let's be careful to remember this when we question why evil things happen in the world.

The truth is that OUR GOD IS GOOD!  And here is the proof:

He could have left us in this miserable condition we created for ourselves.  But our loving Father didn't do that.  No, instead here is what He did for His children who doubted Him and sinned against Him by listening to Satan:

Romans 8:1-4, 11-18, 28-39

¹There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. ²For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. ³For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin,he condemned sin in the flesh, ⁴in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. ...

 ¹¹If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you.

 ¹²So then, brothers, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. ¹³For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. ¹⁴For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. ¹⁵For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, "Abba! Father!" ¹⁶ The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, ¹⁷and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.

 ¹⁸For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. ...

 ²⁸And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. ²⁹For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. ³⁰And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.

 ³¹What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? ³²He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? ³³Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. ³⁴Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. ³⁵Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? ³⁶As it is written,

   "For your sake we are being killed all the day long;
   we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered."

 ³⁷No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. ³⁸For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, ³⁹nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.


God didn't send just anyone to save us from the devil, the world and our flesh; He sent His one and only Son to do the job.  Would you be willing to watch your child die for the sins of the whole world who hated him?


It must have broken God's heart to watch the suffering and sacrifice of Jesus--far beyond anything Job endured.  But it also broke His heart that we could no longer be in perfect fellowship with Him.  It was the only solution to the problem of our sin.  You see...He loves us that much.


Michael said something very interesting at the end of his message yesterday, and it got me thinking about Job in a way I never have before.  He said that Job represents Jesus.  That parallel has a whole lot of implications for us.


First of all, Job was offering sacrifices to cover the possible sins of his sons and daughters in all their feasting and reveling with their friends.  God the Father offered Jesus as the sacrifice to cover the sins of His sons and daughters.


Next, Satan comes to tempt Job to curse God.  Satan tempted Jesus in the desert for 40 days and nights after He was baptized, offering Jesus all sorts of things if He would bow down and worship the devil.


Then Satan snatches Job's children from him.  Satan snatches the souls of many of God's children from Him.


Because of Satan's determination to desecrate the name of God, Job lost everything he had--all his riches, his servants, his children, his standing in society and even his own health.  Because of Satan's determination to desecrate the name of God, Jesus had to leave the riches of heaven, His fellowship with the Father and Holy Spirit with all the angels worshipping and serving Him, His position of power and authority, and became bound by a body of flesh that suffered all the ills and trials of this world, and eventually death on a cross.  


Satan destroyed Job's children.  Satan destroyed God's children.  Jesus was the only one who could win them back to the Kingdom of Heaven by paying the price they could never pay.


Just as by the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ God's children were given new life, so will Job be blessed with new children when he comes through this trial.  Just as Jesus returned to heaven to sit at God's right hand, with all His former glory and authority restored, so will Job's riches and reputation be restored.


Wow--who knew there were so many parallels between Job and Jesus?  Thank you, my dear husband, for letting the Holy Spirit speak that word through you which you had not even intended to say.  I love God for doing that.


So as Abraham offering Isaac was an illustration for us, a divine drama if you will, of what God would later do through the sacrifice of His one and only Son whom He loved; so is the suffering of Job an illustration of the suffering of Christ.


"The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.  For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.  (Romans 8:16-18)

Sorrow and Suffering (Job week 1)

I very humbly begin writing these thoughts on the book of Job, realizing that I cannot begin to understand the mind of God and would not dare to presume to explain His actions.  God is God, and He has reasons beyond our understanding.

“As the heavens are higher than the earth,
   so are my ways higher than your ways
   and my thoughts than your thoughts."  (Isaiah 55:9)


All I can do with any amount of integrity is tell you what I have learned from Him on my own pilgrimage, through my own trials which He has allowed for His purposes.  So, from that viewpoint will I write about our readings this week.  The next two verses that follow the one above assure me that God's Word will accomplish what He desires of it.  Therefore I can trust God to do through His Word what I cannot through mine.


¹⁰ As the rain and the snow
   come down from heaven,
and do not return to it
   without watering the earth
and making it bud and flourish,
   so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, 
¹¹ so is My word that goes out from My mouth:
   It will not return to Me empty,
but will accomplish what I desire
   and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.  (Isaiah 55:10-11)


I encourage you to pray now, as I am, that God will accomplish within you what He desires as you study   the book of Job.


On Sunday some of you asked the question, "why are we skipping to Job instead of continuing on to Exodus?"  Many scholars believe that Job is probably the oldest book in Scripture.  In other words, it was probably written before any of the Pentateuch (Genesis-Deuteronomy). The author of Job is unknown, as is the date of its events.  But most scholars believe Job lived some time after the flood but likely before the period of the patriarchs.  Some place the date as late as the exile from Egypt.  No one is absolutely certain, but the reference to the land of Uz (which is Edom) gives us the hint that its events probably took place before Abraham.  Probably.  Therefore we are going to study it now before we move on to Moses.


The theme of Job is suffering, more specifically man's on-going question, "Why do bad things happen to good people?"  This, of course, is an inaccurate question because we know that since the Fall, "All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one."  (Romans 3:12)  So bad things happen to sinful people, which is you and me.  As long as we live on planet earth, until Christ returns to take us home and God creates a new heaven and a new earth, there will be suffering and sorrow on the earth.


When we read about Abraham sacrificing Isaac on the altar a couple of weeks ago, I mentioned a book that I highly recommend for every follower of Christ to read.  It is called Hinds Feet on High Places by Hannah Hurnard.  It is a classic allegory, like Pilgrim's Progress by John Bunyan (which is another one I recommend if you have never read it).  Hinds Feet on High Places is the story of Much-Afraid and her journey out of the Valley of Humiliation, surrounded by her Fearing relatives, and up to the high places in the Kingdom of Love as she trusts the Good Shepherd to ultimately take her there.  Interestingly, and to her disappointment, the Shepherd starts her out on this journey by giving her two companions to help her ascend the heights of the mountain--Sorrow and Suffering.


Now why in the world would the Good Shepherd who loves little Much-Afraid so much and desires to make her feet like hind's feet (deer's feet) so that she can climb the mountain and live with Him in the Kingdom of Love give her Sorrow and Suffering for her companions on the journey?  Because He is a wise Shepherd,  that's why.


You see, my friend, Sorrow and Suffering are character builders.  Success and Ease are not.  Which pair of companions did Jesus have while on this earth--Sorrow and Suffering, or Success and Ease?  


He was despised and rejected by men;
   a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief;
and as one from whom men hide their faces
   he was despised, and we esteemed him not.  (Isaiah 53:3)

So if we are Christ-followers, having chosen to be united with Him in His death that we might also be raised to new life with Him (Romans 6:5), then we will have the same companions to teach us how to be like Him (Philippians 2:5-11).  Sorrow and Suffering become our guides to a life that is pure and blameless, soaring on the heights of Love (God's love), ready for eternity.

Now back to Job.  This book begins and ends with what we call "prose," with mostly poetry for the bulk of the book in-between.  In the first two chapters we see an interesting sight.  The angels. or sons of God, come before God, and so does Satan.  Let's stop right there and look up some passages to get a clearer picture. 

1. According to Job 38:7, what were these angels, or sons of God, doing at creation?
2. What do we learn about angels in Hebrews 1:14 and 1 Peter 1:12? 
3. Read Revelation 12.  This is a look at what was going on in the spiritual realm when Satan sought to become greater than God and sought to prevent the birth and earthly life of Jesus Christ.  What happened to Satan and his angels?
4. What do we learn about the devil at the end of Rev. 12:12 and also verse 17?
5. How does this agree with John 10:10?
6. What are we told to do in 1 Peter 5:8, and why?

Remember the Nepali song the kids sang in church on Sunday?  "Krutta Moni"  The first part of that song (which we didn't attempt to sing because it was too hard to teach) says, "Let's go to Satan's tent and snatch back what Satan has stolen from us."  Can you look back at your life, maybe even your current situation, and see where Satan has tried to steal, kill or destroy in your life?  Maybe he has stolen your joy, or killed a relationship, or tried to destroy your faith in God.  "Be self-controlled and alert!"  Turn to the Good Shepherd and cry out to Him for help, as Much-Afraid did in Hind's Feet on High Places.  He has come so that you may have abundant life in Christ!

At the beginning of Job, we see Satan come before God.  God asks Satan if he has noticed the righteousness of Job, because the LORD sure has taken note.  As Satan says, "Does Job fear God for nothing?"  Truly, God's hand of blessing had been on Job and he was a very prosperous man.  But will Job continue to praise God and trust Him if all this blessing and protection is taken away?  That's a good question for all of us to ask ourselves.

It's easy to follow God when all is going well for us.  But will we offer the sacrifice of praise during hard times?  Will we choose to "praise Him in the storm" as the popular song by Casting Crowns goes?  It's easy to sing those words to the radio when all is going well in our lives or we're mindlessly singing along.  But when trials come, and we stop to realize what we're singing, those can be gut-wrenching words.  Here's another song you may have sung in church or with the radio more than a few times.

"Blessed Be Your Name" by Matt Redman

Blessed be Your name
In the land that is plentiful
Where Your streams of abundance flow
Blessed be Your name 

Blessed be Your name
When I'm found in the desert place
Though I walk through the wilderness
Blessed be your name


Every blessing You pour out I'll
Turn back to praise
When the darkness closes in, Lord
Still I will say 

Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your name
Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your glorious name


Blessed be Your name
When the sun's shining down on me
When the world's "all as it should be"
Blessed be You name 

Blessed be Your name
On the road marked with suffering
Though there's pain in the offering
Blessed be Your name

Every blessing You pour out I'll
Turn back to praise
When the darkness closes in, Lord
Still I will say 

Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your name
Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your glorious name

You give and take away
You give and take away
My heart will choose to say
Lord, blessed be Your name 


You give and take away
You give and take away
My heart will choose to say
Lord, blessed be Your name 


Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your name
Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your glorious name


You give and take away
You give and take away
My heart will choose to say
Lord, blessed be Your name

This song was of course inspired by our memory verse for this week:  Job 1:21.

I told you I would not attempt to understand the mind of God in why He did this to Job.  I said I would only share from personal experience why I think God allows difficult circumstances in our lives.  As I said earlier, I believe that Sorrow and Suffering are given to us as companions for life to make us more like Jesus and prepare us for the Kingdom of Heaven.  Only by trusting these companions can we begin to ascend the heights, as Much-Afraid learned.  She had to be willing to place her hands in theirs for any hope of taking one single step toward the heights with her crippled feet.  She had to trust the Shepherd no matter how bleak things looked.

If we choose, instead, to strive for a life of Success and Ease, we will remain in the Valley of Humiliation, for that is not the crucified life to which our Lord has called us.  It might seem like glitz and glamour on the outside, but the reality of the inside is full of death and destruction.  Even worse, if we choose to curse God for not making life more what we think it should be, we are like Job's foolish wife.  Proverbs has much to say about foolishness and even foolish women, and I can guarantee you that I don't want any of those descriptions to be true of me or of you, dear sister.

One thing is for sure--when Job gets through all of this without cursing God or turning from his faith in God, Satan is put in his proper place of humiliation and God's name is glorified.  Friend, if trusting God through my darkest hour brings glory to God and the power of His Name is proclaimed, then it was all worth it.  Ephesians 1:14 tells us that we are "for the praise of His glory."  That should bring us strength in the midst of struggles and a purpose for continuing to trust and persevere, as we learned in James 1:2-4.

1. Who comes onto the scene of Job's life next in 2:11?
2. What do they do in verses 12-13?
3. Why did people do this in Biblical times?

The truth is that their actions were those of people mourning for the dead.  In reading some commentaries, I learned that seven days was the typical mourning period for the dead.  So Job's friends are treating him as if he is dead and there is nothing left for him in life but to die.  Wow.  What "comfort."

Then Job finally speaks, and it is not a speech full of hope for his future or thanksgiving for all God had done in his life up to that point.  You may have noticed that Job's friends decided to give him advice in response.  TAKE HEED!  The next lesson we can learn from the book of Job is not to always listen to pious-sounding advice from our friends or well-meaning folks.  Interestingly enough, their advice is mixed with bits of truth regarding God.  But any friend that comes to you and says, "This is why all of this has happened to you," is assuming to know the mind of God.  Unless that friend happens to be a Biblical counselor or a prophet, smile and say "thank you;" and then go home and forget every word!  Turn instead to God and His Word and see what He has to say to you about the situation.   Seek godly counsel from a trusted source, but not advice from those who think their opinion is equivalent to God's.


In upcoming chapters Job will get God's take on the situation, and that is when you can pay attention and learn from what He says.  For now, read along and watch what God will begin to do to transform a righteous man with everything he could possibly want, into one who, like Paul, could worship God and say:


I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.  (Philippians 4:12)


Here is Paul's exhortation to you and to me:


I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.  (Romans 12:1)


Sorrow and Suffering.


"You remember your promise, to accept the helpers I would give, because you believed that I would choose the very best possible guides for you.  Will you still trust me, Much-Afraid?  Will you go with them, or do you wish to turn back to the Valley, and to all your Fearing relatives, to Craven Fear himself?"  (Hinds Feet on High Places, pp. 66-67)


GOD, the Lord, is my strength;
   He makes my feet like the deer’s;
   He makes me tread on my high places.  (Habakkuk 3:19)  (see also Psalm 18:33)


Our journey to the high places is a process of spiritual growth as we trust in the Lord.  We may prefer Joy and Peace as our companions, but our loving Father who desires to perfect us knows what is most needed.  Much-Afraid began her journey to the High Places with Sorrow and Suffering as her guides, but that was not the end of her story (which I'm not going to tell you and spoil the ending for you).  The suffering of Job is not the end of his story either (so keep reading!).  Our sufferings are not the end of our   story either, dear friend, but if we give up before God works His masterpiece in us, we will never experience the Joy and Peace for which we were created.


Weeping may tarry for the night,
   but joy comes with the morning.  (Psalm 30:5b)