Wednesday, December 12, 2007

Good morning! I just wanted to say thank you for all of the wonderful comments from yesterday. I also wanted to let you know that I am working on having the comments be visible in order to better facilitate interaction between us women. Please feel free to let me know any suggestions you may have for this blog site.

I realize that with Christmas only two weeks away, you may be expecting Christmas-themed devotions. While today's devotional is not directly related to Christmas, I hope that the topic is one that will remind you of the importance of relationships at this time of year. Last year was my year to focus on reconciling three different friendships that had gone by the wayside several years ago. It is such a blessing to me to have these 3 friends back in my life. While forgiveness is not always synonymous with reconciliation (nor should it be in some cases), it is still a very important part of our lives as Christians.

Have a wonderful day today!
Becky


Forgiveness and Blessing

After the Lord had said these things to Job, He said to Eliphaz the Temanite, “I am angry with you and your two friends, because you have not spoken of Me what is right, as My servant Job has. So now take seven bulls and seven rams and go to My servant Job and sacrifice a burnt offering for yourselves. My servant Job will pray for you, and I will accept his prayer and not deal with you according to your folly. You have not spoken of Me what is right, as My servant Job has.” So Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite and Zophar the Naamathite did what the Lord told them; and the Lord accepted Job’s prayer. After Job had prayed for his friends, the Lord made him prosperous again and gave him twice as much as he had before. (Job 42:7-10, NIV)

Job had just been through his own private hell. He lost his children, his wealth, and his health due to a bet Satan made with God. His wife treated him with sarcasm and disrespect. His three friends who came to him under the guise of being a support falsely accused him of causing his own losses because of unconfessed sin.

Job was in agony physically, emotionally and spiritually. Instead of providing him with comfort and encouragement, his friends judged him and berated him.

Job finally succumbed to anger and bitterness toward God. Who wouldn’t in his shoes? But in the end he humbled himself before God and asked for forgiveness. God forgave him willingly and instantly. But what’s interesting is that Job’s losses weren’t restored until after he prayed on behalf of his three friends. That’s right. God was so angry at the friends for the part they played in Job’s suffering that He required them to present a burnt offering and have Job intercede for them.

We have no idea whether these three friends were sincere and humble when they did what God asked, or whether they did what they were told with resentment and insincerity. But that’s not what matters. What matters is what Job did. He prayed for them. And because God can see the intent of the heart, it’s implied that Job’s intercession came with pure motives.

How hard must that have been? When we are betrayed or deeply hurt by a close friend or loved one, we often use it as a reasonable excuse to walk away from the relationship. After all, we reason, we’re completely justified in feeling hurt and angry. Our trust has been betrayed; we feel that we have every reason to write that person off.

It takes a whole new level of spiritual maturity to do what Job did, to forgive those who have hurt us and then ask God to do the same. It takes humility, which means first knowing that you yourself are right with God. And it takes a level of forgiveness beyond what our culture either comprehends or condones.

Did you read what happened to Job after he prayed for his friends? God restored his fortunes …times two! He restored Job’s marriage and blessed him with ten more children, He restored and doubled his wealth, and He restored his health. He “blessed the latter days of Job more than the beginning.” (Job 42:12) Job learned that with a forgiving heart comes blessing.