“Why does the Almighty not set times for judgment? Why must those who know him look in vain for such days?”
~ Job 24:1
Hi James and Ellen,
Do you think that it is fair that you have a lot of toys when there are kids who are living on planet Earth who do not have any toys? Do you think that it is fair that you can go to school when there are kids who are living on planet Earth who can only go to school for a couple of years – if they can go to school at all? Do you think that it is fair that you have food in your house when there are kids who are living on planet Earth who have to scrounge every day for something to eat? Do you think that it is fair that you are able to get new clothes to wear when there are kids who are living on planet Earth who only have a few dirty, ripped clothes to wear – if they have any clothes to wear other than what they are wearing? Do you think that it is fair that you have a dad and ma when there are kids who are living on planet Earth who may only have a ma – if they have a ma at all? When Job suddenly found himself without possessions and covered with sores, Job wanted to know from God His answer to the fairness question of why He gives one guy, gal or kid possessions and good health while He leaves another guy, gal or kid with nothing as the guy, gal or kid goes through abject suffering. Job – in Job 24, wrestles with this rightness or fairness question. Verse 1 says, ““Why does the Almighty not set times for judgment? Why must those who know him look in vain for such days?” What do you think that life is like for a kid who has no toys, cannot go to school, rummages every day through garbage for something to eat, has only dirty, ripped clothes to wear and does not have a dad and/or ma to go home to each day?
You are blessed. You have toys. You go to school. You have food to eat. You have clean clothes. You have a dad and ma. What if tomorrow you came home from school and discovered that you no longer have any toys, that you cannot go back to school, that there is no food in your house to eat, that the only clothes you have are what you are wearing and that your dad and ma are gone? You are probably thinking that this will never happen to you. It happened to Job. Job wanted to know from God why it happened to him. Job wanted to know why other guys, gals and kids had to live in the same kind of misery that he suddenly found himself having to endure. It did not help Job at all that he had three self-proclaimed friends trying to tell him that it was his fault that he had suddenly gone from having all that he needed to be able to live a comfortable life to having a life that no longer had in it family, health and possessions. Having very little or surviving by sustenance living – which is to live from hand to mouth, may not be that bad. Having material wealth may not mean that a guy, gal or kid does not have friends but . . . a community of supportive acquaintances is something that should be valued more than having a lot of things and building a large money nest egg for the future. One of the first trips that your grandpaa made – after your grandpaa had settled into administrating with your grandmaa the rural resident training center in Concepción, Ñuflo de Chávez in Bolivia, was to a ranch that was located about twenty kilometers from Concepción. A guy who attended the evangelical church that is located in Concepción had told your grandpaa that a Christian family was living on this ranch. Because your grandpaa had wanted to begin to do outreach visits with the Centro de Capacitación students – or the center of learning students, your grandpaa decided to visit this couple. Your grandpaa had Ramón Saucedo go with him to the ranch to visit the Christian family. Ramón was one of the Centro de Capacitación students. Ramón rode on the back of your grandpaa’s motorcycle while your grandpaa tried to keep his 125 Yamaha street bike from tipping over as they went down a narrow, rutted trail to the ranch. It took your grandpaa and Ramón about two hours to go about twelve miles. The narrow, rutted trail was very muddy and slick because it had been raining. When your grandpaa and Ramón finally arrived at the ranch, they found the Christian couple – who then left your grandpaa and Ramón sitting alone by themselves for what seemed like . . . it was a long time. When the guy finally showed up again, he was carrying two spoons and two hard-boiled eggs. One of the hard-boiled eggs was for your grandpaa while the other hard-boiled egg was for Ramón. The two hard-boiled eggs were gifts from this Christian couple for your grandpaa and Ramón to eat. Your grandpaa invariably found his Bolivian hosts wanting to do something for him versus expecting or thinking that your grandpaa would do something for them.
Because Job was personally feeling what it was like to first be a guy who had everything and then to be a guy who had nothing, Job began to empathize with guys, gals and kids who have nothing. Job would put the blame on the plight that some guys were experiencing because these guys had murdered, abused relationships and/or robbed. Job wanted absolutely nothing to do with wicked guys. Job wanted to advocate for poor guys, gals and kids who had to forage in fields for something to eat, glean vineyards of wicked guys for something to drink, spend long nights shivering because of not having clothes, been taken or snatched from their mas by unscrupulous guys and could only groan before finally succumbing to their wounds or sickness. Job did not know why God was being so silent and indifferent to him at this time – and with other guys, gals and kids in similar life quandaries. God in the end would let Job see through it all by embedding confidence in him – which God gives to all of His specially elected guys, gals and kids – guys, gals and kids who believe in what God – as God the Son, did on a cross for them, that He is forever in control. Do you believe that God controls everything that happens and does not happen in your lives?
Job 24 (513)