Golden Nuggets of Wisdom

I love Wednesdays at work. Every Wednesday morning I have a large group of women from a local church who come in for coffee and cookies before their Bible study. There are a few women that I have really gotten to know, and they are always interested in how my life is going. One in particular (we'll call her "J") , has been so encouraging to me over the past few weeks. J always has a smile on her face and is continually asking about the latest news in my life. She makes me very happy. =)

Another lady who came in today was sitting by herself reading her Bible. From there we were able to discuss her reading Esther, and how she enjoys reading Job. She then went on to explains some things to me, which though I may have thought of them before this point, also gave me a chance to relearn them.

Job 1:1
¹ In the land of Uz there lived a man whose name was Job. This man was blameless and upright; he feared God and shunned evil.

Job was a man of honorable status. His character was such that God put him on display before Satan in verse 8, where He said:

⁸ Then the LORD said to Satan, "Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil." 

So, it would appear that as Job was a man of such an upright character, we should strive to imitate him. And yet, while God speaks highly of Job, we also find Him giving Job an attitude adjustment once we get to chapter 38.

 ¹ Then the LORD answered Job out of the storm. He said:  ² "Who is this that darkens my counsel
       with words without knowledge?
 ³ Brace yourself like a man;
       I will question you,
       and you shall answer me.
 ⁴ "Where were you when I laid the earth's foundation?
       Tell me, if you understand.
 ⁵ Who marked off its dimensions? Surely you know!
       Who stretched a measuring line across it?


I love that in verse 5: "surely you know!" Oh the sarcasm this suggests; that Job would truly know such things as this.

³³ Do you know the laws of the heavens?
       Can you set up God's dominion over the earth?  ³⁴ "Can you raise your voice to the clouds
       and cover yourself with a flood of water?
 ³⁵ Do you send the lightning bolts on their way?
       Do they report to you, 'Here we are'? 

 How awesome to think that God has this power!

So, here we have a man worthy of imitation, and yet even he is brought low by the magnificence of God. How much more so will we be brought low when we are faced with the glory of the Lord God on His throne!