What kind of friend and counselor are you?
29 Jun 26
Today's devotional: taken from YouVersion, Devotions on F.I.R.E. Year One
Readings:
Job 16
Job 17
Job 18
Acts 9:1-22
Then Job answered and said: “I have heard many such things; miserable comforters are you all!” (Job 16:1-2).
What kind of friend and counselor are you?
Job’s friends and counselors are both insensitive and inaccurate concerning his plight. God Himself assesses their counseling with the following: “For you have not spoken of Me what is right” (Job 42:7). These so-called friends take the wrong approach to Job. Paul writes, “Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted” (Galatians 6:1). The term “restore” occurs outside the Bible and refers to gently setting broken bones. Job’s friends seek to accuse and not restore him. Moreover, they don’t speak the truth about God like Job. Truth must be accompanied by love. Paul encourages the Ephesians that they should be “speaking the truth in love” (Ephesians 4:15).
Employment Point: Communicate God’s truth accurately and with love.
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Reflections
Coincidentally, when I was doing lectio divina on Psalms 15:2 yesterday, the words “speaks the word” stood out to me the most. And I was pondering over those words and remembered about speaking the truth in gentleness and love. Also because of a recent instance where a colleague shared a struggle with me on how do we do that when it’s so hard. We pray that the Lord grant us the wisdom and knowledge to speak the truth with the right words so we point others to Christ instead of pushing them away. May our words always be seasoned with salt so that it is pleasing to God and also acceptable to men.
We are reminded not to condemn or accuse someone. We are not in the position to judge so do not judge for the measurement we used to judge others, it will be used to judge ourselves.
“My days have passed, my plans are shattered. Yet the desires of my heart turn night into day; in the face of the darkness light is near.”
Job 17:11-12 NIV
- Job’s reply in this verse seemed to be telling us he understands where he is going. Even though he suffers, he is still glad. All is not lost and there is still hope.
- As I ponder over these words and the message of rejoicing always, the Lord seemed to be reminding me that there is always something to rejoice for. Not that we never face challenges but there is always hope in the Lord. Nothing based on our own strengths but to just lean on Him and be blessed.
“Surely such is the dwelling of an evil man; such is the place of one who does not know God.””
Job 18:21 NIV
- this is a very strong accusation against someone. Even more so someone whom we call a friend. Even if they think Job did something wrong, this is not the way to put things across. There is no gentleness, no love and only the thoughts of self-righteousness.
- There is a fine balance of speaking the truth with love and telling people off. We need to learn from Jesus and speak with kindness. Perhaps a self check would be this-if we speak something to ourselves and we don’t like what we hear, it is likely that others will not find it pleasant too.
“In a vision he has seen a man named Ananias come and place his hands on him to restore his sight.” “Lord,” Ananias answered, “I have heard many reports about this man and all the harm he has done to your holy people in Jerusalem.”
Acts 9:12-13 NIV
- we too may be like Ananias, too quick to judge. But the Lord has the power to transform. He has the power to change one’s heart and turn it towards Him. Remember we are all His vessels and clay in His hand. Let Him and let be. Do not try to fight with the Lord and be glad to be a Ananias. A person that the Lord used to minister to others.
“All those who heard him were astonished and asked, “Isn’t he the man who raised havoc in Jerusalem among those who call on this name? And hasn’t he come here to take them as prisoners to the chief priests?” Yet Saul grew more and more powerful and baffled the Jews living in Damascus by proving that Jesus is the Messiah.”Acts 9:21-22 NIV
- Indeed we cannot underestimate the power of transformation. Someone who went around killing God’s people is now going around telling others that Jesus is the Messiah. It’s no wonder people are getting confused.
- This should not come as a surprise to us though. I believe we have seen enough testimonies from people who were previous drug addicts, murderers, etc., who not just turned over a new leaf but started ministries, giving God the glory! May we all be encouraged and not give up on these so called “impossible” people.
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The Direction of Discipline
BY OSWALD CHAMBERS
June 29
And if your right hand causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell. — Matthew 5:30
Pay close attention to the words Jesus speaks here. Jesus doesn’t say that everyone, without exception, must cut off their right hand. He says that if your right hand causes you to stumble, then you must cut it off. Yet even with this condition, Jesus’s command is the toughest discipline ever to strike humankind. Your right hand is one of the best and most useful things you have—and still Jesus says it must go if it causes you to stumble.
After God changes you through spiritual rebirth, you will find that there are a hundred and one perfectly legitimate things you dare not do, because they break your concentration on him. These things are like your right hand: in your eyes and the eyes of the world, they appear good, even necessary. When you begin to cut them out, your life will be maimed and scarred. Unspiritual people will be appalled. “What on earth is wrong with that?” they’ll ask. “How absurd you’re being!” Remember, when this happens, how and why you’ve been given your new insight. Jesus Christ is using his Spirit to warn you away from things which are no longer right for you. These things may still be perfectly fine for everyone else. Make sure you do not use your new limits to criticize others.
There has never been a saint who didn’t lead a maimed life at first. But it is better to enter into life maimed and lovely in God’s sight than to be lovely in the eyes of the world and unfit in God’s. Take heart, and remember that your life will not always be maimed. In Matthew 5:48, Jesus gives a picture of the life he desires you to lead, a life that is full-orbed, a life in him: “Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.”
WISDOM FROM OSWALD
We are all based on a conception of importance, either our own importance, or the importance of someone else; Jesus tells us to go and teach based on the revelation of His importance. “All power is given unto Me.… Go ye therefore ….”
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Reflections
When we come to know the Lord and began to grow closer to Him, you will realised that He may give you some spiritual insights. The things that He wants us to change the most.
Right from the beginning when we first get to know Him, we may sometimes be too zealous for things. We may judge others, think we know but actually we don’t. Or everything may just come at us all at once like tsunami, with no warnings prior.
In my own journey, I realised the hard way that each of us are at a different level of our faith joining. One may be full of faith and the other may be much lesser not because they don’t trust God, but because they are more cautious. There are no right or wrong. But it would be wrong to say they have no faith. Or saying anything that doesn’t encourage anyone or bring a smile to their faces. Many times, being right may not be the way to go but to be loving may be more appropriate.
I can’t tell you exactly what happened but the gist of the issue is that my friend did something a Christian will never do. A lot went on in my mind. Like a lot of why.. you know some things are so obvious it doesn’t need to be said. During that time I felt I judged my friend and over time, I do realise the way and how fast we process situations, feelings and emotions may be very different.
The bottomline I felt is to give grace like how we have received it. Who is perfect? None of us are. We may be better in certain things because of our gifts but that does not give us the licence to trample on anyone or make us any better than anyone.
The Lord is fair. He gives you something and takes away something so that everyone can come together and compliment one another. Those insights are meant to give us revelations, to learn about ourselves and others, as well as to learn more about God.
If we ever come across ourselves focusing on something that goes far beyond God, remember it is a reminder or prompting of the Holy Spirit to return to our paths before we go too far.
Let’s pray:
Father Lord, thank You for the prompting that You gave us throughout our lives, helping us to see how we have sinned and how we can turn back to You. Thank You Father that You never judged and always forgives. Help us not to take that grace for granted but to live a renewed life focused on Your will. Thank You Lord. In Jesus’s name we ask and pray. Amen 🙏🏻
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