God visits us EVERY MORNING and tests us EVERY MOMENT!
May 26
Bible Reading: Job Chapters 7-9
God visits us EVERY MORNING and tests us EVERY MOMENT!
"What is man, that You should exalt
him, that You should set Your heart on him, that You should visit him every
morning, And test him every moment?" (Job 7:17-18)
In chapter
7, Job talks to God about the seeming futility of his life. Why should God keep
him alive? What is all this suffering accomplishing? Job is like a weary hired
man who gets no wages (7:1–5). His life rushes by like the shuttle on a loom;
it is like a breath and a cloud (7:6–10; James 4:13–17). Job is a target (6:4;
7:20), but what is God aiming at? “If I
am a great sinner,” says Job, “then
either pardon my sins or take my life. Either way, I will find some peace.”
(See 6:9–10; 7:15, 20–21.)
In verses 17-18,
Job asks the Lord why He should pay so much attention to an insignificant human
being, hemming him in, terrifying him with nightmares, until he would rather be
strangled. Is man so great that God should cause him to suffer continually? Why
is man of so much importance that God
should give so much “heart-thought” upon
him?
David uses
the same words (Psalms 8:4; 144:3) in their right application, to express
wonder that God should do so much as He does for insignificant man. Unlike Job,
David was not suffering, so his thoughts on this subject are positive. He
marvels that God cares so much for the creature He has made to reflect His own
image. But Job, in his distress, wishes that God would leave him alone!
In the midst
of his suffering, Job accuses God of spying on him and watching his every move.
If God is seeking to refine Job through this suffering, He is demanding too
much of frail humanity. It is clear that the biblical revelation is
progressive, and at this early stage the doctrine of eternal life was not yet
understood clearly. Job’s idea is that if there is to be any vindication,
forgiveness, or wrongs righted, it must take place in this life to have any
meaning.
When we
apply this word to our lives, let us understand that God has “exalted” us enough to visit us every
morning and test us every moment. The eyes of God that are on the sparrow are
always watching us. He sees us and even intimately knows the thoughts in our
hearts. His mercy and compassion are new every morning. Let us hope in God,
seek Him every day and trust that He is good to those who wait upon His
outpouring and intervention every moment of every day in their lives!
