“The churning inside me never stops: days of suffering confront me.”
~ Job 30:27
Hi James and Ellen,
Do you have friends? Do you want to have friends? If you want to have friends, why do you want to have friends? Does your dad and/or ma have friends? Does your dad and/or ma want to have friends? If your dad and/or ma want to have friends, why does your dad and/or ma want to have friends? How would you feel if you were always ridiculed by other kids? How would you feel if no guy, gal or kid liked your dad and/or ma? Do you think of God as being a friend? Have you ever felt as if God is ridiculing you? Have you ever felt as if God does not like you? Your grandmaa and grandpaa recently read together a book that was written by Tom Rath that he named Vital Friends: The People You Can’t Afford to Live Without. Tom Rath is a researcher for Gallup. Stan Rich gave your grandmaa and grandpaa this book the day that your grandmaa spoke to the staff and missionaries who work at OC International’s headquarters – which is in Colorado Springs, as to how God had been – in His divine way, leading your grandmaa and grandpaa to leave OC International and how God had become an even closer friend to her than ever before during this trying time. Before your grandmaa began to speak to the staff and missionaries who had gotten together over lunch at OC International’s headquarters to say good-by to your grandmaa and grandpaa, Stan told everyone that your grandmaa and grandpaa were the kind of gal and guy who OC International could not afford to be without. What Stan said made your grandmaa feel really emotional. Stan had become a very close friend to your grandmaa and grandpaa. One of the things that Tom Rath discovered in his extensive research and which he reported in his book is that if a guy or gal is given the opportunity of working in an environ where he or she is able to grow close friendships with his or her co-workers or of getting a raise, that the vast majority of guys and gals would choose being in a work environ where they can make friends. Having close friendships should be considered as being an absolute must for every guy, gal and kid to have.
Having a close friendship with God is an absolute must for all Christ-follower guys, gals and kids to have. Job had an especially close friendship with God. When some guys who called themselves friends of Job thought that they had all the answers for Job’s horrific calamities, Job was left with only God to turn to to pour out or vent his frustrations. Job 30 is about a guy who feels as if he has absolutely no friends at all. Job communicates sensing that even God had left him. Verse 27 is Job saying, “The churning inside me never stops: days of suffering confront me.” Have you ever felt your insides churning? Ask your dad and/or ma if they have ever gone through a time when they felt like their insides would not stop churning because of what was happening in their lives. Ask your dad and/or ma if they have ever gone through a time when they could not see the ‘light at the end of the tunnel’ because of not knowing what they should do next. When your grandpaa was told that there was no place anywhere within OC International for your grandpaa to be a missionary, your grandmaa and grandpaa had their stomachs churning as they did not know what they should do next. After your grandpaa had been told that there was no longer a place in OC International for him, your grandmaa and grandpaa were very thankful that they could call a friend like Stan to ask him if he would come over to their place to spend time talking with them. Your grandpaa three months ago felt really disparaged/disapproved by guys who he had thought appreciated him. Your grandpaa felt like he had been ‘spit in his face’ for absolutely no reason at all. When your grandmaa and grandpaa began talking with God about what had happened, God was there – as a reassuring/affirming Friend, helping your grandmaa and grandpaa move on to something else. Your grandmaa and grandpaa never felt as if God was leaving them alone with a churning stomach – as God did for a short time with Job. Your grandpaa cannot begin to imagine the kinds of horrible feelings that Job was having – such as the feeling of God having thrown him into mud in order to reduce him back to dust and ashes. Your grandpaa cannot begin to imagine what Job was going through as his skin turned black and began to peel off his feverish body. Your grandpaa cannot begin to imagine what it would be like to have only jackals and owls for his companions.
Tim and Amy, Darryl and Carolyn, Jeff, Scotty and John – guys and gals who were friends of your grandmaa and grandpaa, a week ago yesterday helped your grandmaa and grandpaa load their belongings into a 26’ U-Haul truck. It took over five hours to tightly load the 26’ U-Haul truck. A group of energetic guys and gals who work in the Adventures in Missions office in Gainesville, Georgia – including the guy who is the President of Adventures in Missions – guys and gals who your grandmaa and grandpaa did not know, helped your grandmaa and grandpaa last Friday to move their belongings from the 26’ U-Haul truck into an apartment. It took about 45 minutes to unload the U-Haul truck. Your grandmaa and grandpaa feel already like they have friends here in Georgia who work at Adventures in Missions office. Having friends begins with being a friend to others. Even though Job accused God of not listening to his pleas for mercy, Job ultimately knew that God would be there for him just as He has been for your grandmaa and grandpaa.
Job 30 (780)