Job 13-14 Begging God To Communicate

Job’s friends have spent all their time trying to convince Job to just admit his sins and ask God for forgiveness.  Job has lived an upright life, however, and he says, “I want to speak to the Almighty and to argue my case with God.”  (Be careful what you wish for, Job!)  Job knows that God is just and fair and his integrity cries out for an opportunity to speak with God.  “Even if God kills me, I have hope in Him …This is my salvation.  The wicked cannot come before Him.”

 

Job feels cut off from God.  Because he trusts God, he’d rather risk seeing God and dying in order to plead his case than continuing to suffer for some unknown reason.  He begs God, “God, please give me these two things … Take Your punishment away from me … then call me and I will answer, or let me speak, and You answer … Show me my wrong and my sin.”  Job pleas for communication with God.  He truly feels cut off.

 

As despair sets in, Job decides that if God isn’t going to grant him an audience, then God would be better to leave him alone in his few remaining sad days:  “Lord, do You need to watch me like this?”  He even feels like a laborer having to “put in his time”.  Life has become so burdensome for him.

 

New hope flares up and Job says, “I will wait until my change comes.  You will call, and I will answer You; You will desire the creature Your hands have made.  Then You will count my steps, but You will not keep track of my sin.  My wrongs will be closed up in a bag, and You will cover up my sin.”

 

Father, there’s great hope in these words:  “You will call, and I will answer You; You will desire the creature Your hands have made.”  Job had spent a lifetime seeking You, learning about You, and obeying You.  I want to do the same.  Reveal Yourself to me even more.  Help me to know You, and once You’ve shown me truths about Yourself and about my own life, help me to obey You.

 

Your Brother In Christ,

Gary Ford