Respond to God

 

    We can spend a lifetime learning to listen to God.  It is what gives us peace and direction through everything life throws at us.  However, we need to know how to respond to God too.  He demands obedience, but it is more than that.  He wants a relationship with you.  That means responding is more than just a yes or no.  It is giving of yourself.

    Job may or may not have heard God audibly.  It may had been the Holy Spirit putting the words into his heart and head.  However, Job did recognize that it came from God.  He recognized God's power.  He knew that he didn't know everything, but he knew enough to really listen.  Job chose to respond to God by repenting.  He showed wisdom that day.  God had given Job a long speech that changed his heart.  

    Now, God was letting Eliphaz, Zophar, and Bildad know that He was angry with them for falsely speaking about God.  They had to make a sacrifice and allow Job to pray over them.  They were forced into humility.  It was not as much as an option for their judgmental attitudes.  Once they submitted, God did forgive them.  Hopefully they learned from the experience.

    Job was rewarded for not turning his back on God.  His faith made him doubly prosperous.  All his Family and friends returned to him.  He was blessed with more children, so the love of his wife returned too.  He treated his daughters with respect and changed how women were treated by giving them an equal inheritance as their brothers.  On top of all of that, Job was allowed to live until he was 140.  

    Job had seen true horrors of life, but he responded to God out of love.  God based love is always rewarded, even if it is not immediately.  It is not twisted or hurtful like the love of the world that will abandon you when times get hard or for no good reason.

Job 42