The Lesson in Hardship

Job 33:29

“God does all these things to a person— twice, even three times— to turn them back from the pit, that the light of life may shine on them.”

An old He Haw song went like this “Gloom despair and agony on me, if it weren’t for bad luck I’d have no luck at all, Gloom despair and agony on me.”  This song was played in a skit by two old farmers complaining about all of life’s shortcomings.  It was funny. I cannot tell you anything about the skit but the song is burned into my head. 

Elihu is the last to speak to Job about his condition.  He is much younger than the other friends of Job and has been silent, listening to all of the back and forth and finally could not keep silent any more.  Job’s other friends have stopped answering him because “he was righteous in his own eyes” (32:1) 

Elihu describes many different circumstances in which God uses to get the attention of his children.  Verse 29 sums it up for sure, it reads, “God does all these thing to a person twice, even three times to turn them back from the pit, that the life may shine on them.”

I cannot tell you what God has planned nor can anyone.  We can only interpret from our circumstances.  Elihu makes a wonderful point in verse 29, he says God uses hardship to get our attention so we don’t keep running back into the fire away from God. 

Maybe your life is like Job right now.  You cannot understand why you are at this place but reality says you are in the middle of it.  God may be using that circumstance to get your attention.  The light of life may shine on you again but first you will have to stop being righteous in your own eyes like Job.  Yes he was blameless, but pride had him by the throat and he needed a wake up call. It came from a young man named Elihu. 

Be careful to listen to who the Almighty puts in your path; they just might be pointing you in direction God wants you to go.  Look for the Elihu’s in your life; they might just save you from hardship.  Like he said in verse 29, God does these things– twice even three times–.  Don’t let your pride make you excuse the problem but rather submit to God and let Him show you your path.  

Prayer: Father, I pray that we would humble ourselves before you. I pray that we submit our entire lives to you. I say to you Lord, lead me into all righteousness. I say to you Lord, I submit my ways to you. I say to you Lord, I no longer look with my own eyes on my path ahead but rather, I walk by faith. In Jesus name, amen.