The Grands Letter

Dear Grands,

Job 5:1-11, “Call now, is there anyone who will answer you? And to which of the holy ones will you turn?

2 “For anger slays the foolish man, And jealousy kills the simple.

3 “I have seen the foolish taking root, And I cursed his abode immediately.

4 “His sons are far from safety, They are even oppressed in the gate, And there is no deliverer.

5 “His harvest the hungry devour And take it to a place of thorns, And the schemer is eager for their wealth.

6 “For affliction does not come from the dust, Nor does trouble sprout from the ground,

7 For man is born for trouble, As sparks fly upward.

8 “But as for me, I would seek God, And I would place my cause before God;

9 Who does great and unsearchable things, Wonders without number.

10 “He gives rain on the earth And sends water on the fields,

11 So that He sets on high those who are lowly, And those who mourn are lifted to safety.”

Were you ever in a situation that called for answers you simply did not have? Of course, you were.

So has everyone at some point in life. Anger, jealousy, foolish speech – afflictions of various kinds and of numerous numbers – all arrive at strange and awkward times. It’s a rule of life that abuses everyone sometimes, and others quite a lot. What is to be done?

Neither Job nor his friends simply overlook the situation; still, throughout the ordeal, Job is the only one who clearly maintains faith in the LORD. In fact, the LORD is Job’s first contact. Is that what occurs with us? Do we seek His counsel first? Oftentimes, we do not. We turn to someone nearby or someone from whom we’ve received previous counsel. Still, how do we assess the value of human counsel?

No, Job gives us the counsel we need for all times: “…I would seek God, and I would place my cause before God.” Why, then, are we hesitant to lay matters before Him? Could it be that we’re fearful of what He might say? Or could it be that we’ve previously laid matters before Him but did not like what He told us to do? Therefore, we avoid His scolding and our embarrassment. Job concludes by saying, “…we have investigated it, and so it is. Hear it, and know for yourself.”

Heartily in Christ,

Gene L. Jeffries, Th.D.

United States of America

“We will never know that Christ is all we need, until He becomes all that we have.” –Corrie ten Boom