Recalibrating Focus

Job 32:10-14

Verse 14  But Job has not marshaled his words against me, and I will not answer him with your arguments.

    We talked yesterday about how Elihu had sat and listened quietly to the discussions between Job and his three older friends until he could stand it no longer, but was that the only reason he was silent?  In our reading today we see how Elihu felt he was invisible to the others during their conversation.

    The youngest of the four friends had listened to the older men not only miss the opportunity to point to God through the situation but hadn’t even found the words for their poor arguments.  Likely we can all relate to this issue.  There are times when a friend is going through something and we just don’t know what to say.  We find ourselves groping along, fumbling over words which we know aren’t adequate.

    Elihu may have been invisible to the other men but that didn’t mean he was oblivious to them.  While they spewed their worthless words the younger man sat to the side quietly listening to what was being said.  He accessed what they were saying and weighed it against all he knew in his young life.  Some things just weren’t sounding right to him.

    Though they all tried to give Job the best advice they could muster they were missing the mark because they weren’t willing to see the truth about the Almighty.  They were willing to see Him as the great judge who was willing to discipline Job for some sin he was unwilling to admit but that must be a big one from the amount of the punishment.

    While Job was having his discussions with the three older friends, he seems to be ignoring the younger friend.  Even if he had been addressing the younger man, Elihu says he would have used a different tactic for arguing with Job.  Job didn’t need human insight, in fact the younger man seems to understand Job’s attention needed to be shifted from himself to God.  It is easy for us to lose our focus during the trials of life as well.  If we start questioning how God could love us if He lets these things happen, it just reveals where our trust in God truly lies.

Making It Personal

    Have you ever observed someone older than you who was struggling to keep their focus on the Lord?  Is there someone younger than you watching how you handle trials in life?  How do you need to change your focus?

Making It Personal Kids

    How do the adults in your life handle the trials they face?  Do you have younger siblings or cousins who may be watching how you react to things you don’t like?  How can you remember to think about Jesus during the hard times?

Closing Prayer

    Father, we confess there are many times we allow ourselves to be distracted by the trials of life instead of focusing on You.  Give us the wisdom we need to lock our eyes on You, for better or worse.  In Jesus’ name, amen.