Scripture:
Job 42:1-10 ESV
[1] Then Job answered the Lord and said: [2] “I know that you can do all things and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted. [3] ‘Who is this that hides counsel without knowledge?’ Therefore I have uttered what I did not understand, things too wonderful for me, which I did not know. [4] ‘Hear, and I will speak; I will question you, and you make it known to me.’ [5] I had heard of you by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees you; [6] therefore I despise myself, and repent in dust and ashes.” [7] After the Lord had spoken these words to Job, the Lord said to Eliphaz the Temanite: “My anger burns against you and your two friends, for you have not spoken of me what is right, as my servant Job has. [8] Now therefore take seven bulls and seven rams and go to my servant Job and offer up a burnt offering for yourselves. And my servant Job shall pray for you, for I will accept his prayer not to deal with you according to your folly. For you have not spoken of me what is right, as my servant Job has.” [9] So Eliphaz the Temanite Bildad the Shuhite and Zophar the Naamathite went and did what the Lord had told them, and the Lord accepted Job’s prayer. [10] And the Lord restored the fortunes of Job when he had prayed for his friends. And the Lord gave Job twice as much as he had before.
Observation:
We see Job give the only answer possible. He acknowledges that he spoke without knowing exactly who he was speaking about. Once he truly saw GOD and how HE operates, he knew him much better and had to repent. There is a very valuable statement made in verse 2; GOD’S purpose for someone can not be thwarted. HIS plan will happen. GOD is way bigger than our understanding, and Job found that out. Job did the right thing he saw that he was wrong and repented. So GOD then turns HIS focus on the 3 friends. Explaining to them that they know little of what they think they do. I want us to notice that HE does not tell them to repent but to have HIS servant Job pray for them after offering a sacrifice. Job did end up praying for them and he was restored better than before.
Application:
I believe that confession and repentance are the keys to a lot of our issues. Don’t get me wrong I’m not saying that I understand GOD, but I know HE understands me. I also think we tend to speak without knowing the whole truth. I mean who can really know all of GOD? HIS ways are not our ways HIS thoughts are not our thoughts and as soon as we think we know HIM we need to be careful how we speak about HIM as pastor Chad has said 1 degree off from the truth is a lie. I believe this is why in the book of James it says “Not all of you should presume to be teachers because teachers are held at a higher level of accountability “. The thing I want to bring to the forefront of this S.O.A.P. is the fact that Job confessed and repented and GOD restored him. This should be our way of thinking… When I started my recovery my thinking was not the same as it is now. There were things I thought were okay that I have since then laid down and walked away from. Confessing them to my father and changing the way I do things. Please don’t get me wrong. There are times when I have to confess and repent still. But as I grow in my walk it seems like the distance between those times gets a little longer in between them. This is by no means saying I am without sin. I just do what I can to bring my life to the foot of the cross and ask GOD to examine it and HE shows me where I am wrong so I do my best to clean that up. That being said there are 2 points to today’s S.O.A.P. Be careful that when you speak about GOD you know exactly what you are saying and when you see that you are wrong confess and repent. GOD is a restoring GOD a redeeming God. He does not want you to suffer 2 Peter 3:9 makes a statement we need to pay attention to. GOD is not slack in HIS promise but HE is patient not wanting any to suffer but ALL to come to repentance.
Prayer:
Father, we love you, and we know that sometimes our pride gets in the way, and it’s hard to see where we are wrong. We want to confess that right now and turn from it. We want you we want to know you more. It’s so easy to think we are always right, and not consider the possibility of being wrong father, but when it all boils down to it you are the only one who sees it all. You see the end from the middle when all we see is the right now. As you continue to mold us and shape us please do so gently. We want our lives to reflect your son. When the gold is pure the goldsmith can see HIS reflection in it. That’s what we are searching for. When we speak about you let our words be backed up with scripture. We do not want to be speaking about things that are not right. Let us be quick to confess and repent keeping our pride at bay so that it doesn’t get in the way and our emotions to the side so that we do not use them to make our discussions. It’s in the mighty name of Jesus I pray amen.