“And the Lord turned the captivity of Job, when he prayed for his friends…” Job 42:10
Dear Ones:
Jesus, when speaking to Nicodemus, spoke of being born of the Spirit. He used the illustration of the wind, which one could not see, but which would have a definite effect on that which it blew. Jesus then adds, “…so is everyone that is born of the Spirit.” (Jn.3:8) What was it about the wind that was so mysterious? It was the fact that one could not know from where it came, nor where it was going. It was beyond the limits of human understanding to KNOW that which could not be seen or traced. And so, it is with the issue of the sovereignty of God, that hidden, yet sure working of God, to bring men and women to Himself. Paul writes in his letter to the Romans: “O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments, and His ways past finding out.” (11:33) Of what is he speaking here, especially since he has just finished his discourse on the salvation of man by faith, and living by the Spirit? He is speaking of the “wind,” that untraceable and imperceptible working of the Spirit of God that cannot be fully known. God’s judgments and ways, are, as Paul so clearly declares: “…past finding out.” If we take the example of Job, how can we apply this knowledge of the unsearchable ways of God, and yet, the accomplishment of His work in a life by His sovereign action?
To answer this question, let us begin with a promise which God gave through the Apostle Paul to the believers in Philippi: “Being confident of this very thing, that He which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ.” (1:6) Will we always see His working, His ways, and judgments? No, but as the wind of His working blows upon the life of the believer, there will be a definite effect. He WILL form His Son in the life of the believer. In Paul’s letter to the Thessalonian believers, he wrote: “Faithful is He who calls you, who also will do it.” (1 Thess. 5:24) God, by the working of His Spirit, in answer to prayer and faith, will accomplish His wondrous work, a work that we cannot grasp, imagine, or see its full effects. God, by His Spirit, will in essence blow increasingly upon the garden of the believer’s life, to carry abroad the sweet smelling aroma of Christ. This He will do, though we will not understand how, nor the extent of His work, for His glory. However, we can be SURE of His working according to His ways.
If ever there was a person who was put in a position where the sovereign work of God was hidden, certainly not understood, it was Job. Almost everything was taken from him. All health and well-being was removed. His suffering and loss were incalculable from a human standpoint, and there was little, or no comfort from his friends. He was in essence, left alone with God, with a singular hope and assurance, that somehow God saw him, and waited to be gracious to him. Job’s “ideas” of God were tested, put into the crucible of his suffering and circumstances, there to be purified. We see this also in the lives of Job’s friends, who wanted to help him in his suffering, but because there “knowledge of God” was not right, they were unable to provide him the solace that he needed. God’s objective was to give to all concerned a TRUE knowledge of Him, by which each individual could know Him. At the end of his great trial, Job would write: “I have heard of Thee by the hearing of the ear, but now mine eye sees Thee.” (42:5) God has accomplished His objective, to reveal Himself in truth to Job, and to all concerned. It is then that God “turns the captivity of Job.”
Dear Father, Give us grace to submit ourselves to the circumstances of Your choice, knowing that You WILL accomplish your work in us, even finish it. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Love, Dad