“Oh that I were as in months gone by, as in the days when God watched over me; when His lamp shone over my head, and by His light I walked through darkness; as I was in the prime of my days, when the friendship of God was over my tent, when the Almighty was yet with me, and my children were around me; when my steps were bathed in butter and the rock poured oil for me streams of oil.” (Job 29:2-6NASB)
Yesterday I had it in my mind that this Wednesday morning, I was going to present a pedagogical based explanation on a verse included in our opening focal text where Job longs for days past, in his words, “When my steps were bathed in butter, and the rock poured out streams of oil for me.” But my intended purpose was changed by my personal experience throughout the day Tuesday. Yes, I was going to point out that it is imperative that we do a little investigating as students of the word to understand the statements we read, using Job’s words that I just quoted to point out how we should have been prompted to look at just what Job meant. Yesterday, writing about “The Complaint Box,” I had referred to Job looking back over a panorama of his life when everything was going good before his troubles and preceding his complaints. Job is not by himself in doing that, for in the midst of our test we long for the good old days. We long for the days when we were in our prime. Nevertheless, I was going to simply point out that particular verse and explain that butter referred to the fact that Job’s number of cattle used to be so great that the cream they spilled was everywhere and would get on his feet and how oil rolled down from the mountains in a great quantity. Both were a symbol of his prosperity, and the latter might be interpreted to point to Job being anointed from above. This was all I was going to write about to motivate you to study deeper, but as I sat down at the computer, it became apparent that God has a different purpose for me this morning.
Let me get to where I have been led. Job was going through a time of loss, a time magnified and compressed over a short period of time. As you know, while Satan was using this time to tempt Job, God was using this time to test Job. Side note: Pass your tests!
We all go through tests in life, physically and spiritually. Yesterday, I spent the morning at one hospital going through a test, and in the afternoon, I spent most of my time in the dentist office, two and a half hours to be exact. The conclusion of the morning experience was that more tests would be needed. The afternoon experience was disappointing too! I had gone in expecting one procedure and I ended up getting another one and my original purpose for going was postponed for a month. As you can imagine, I was a little desponded, just being transparent. But in the midst of my disappointment, I did not get to the point where I did not think that my days where God watches over me were over, like Job expressed above. I still realized that all things work together for good for those who love the Lord and are called according to His purpose. Yet again, being troubled, I longed for the days when I was in my prime. As I was longing and waiting for my ride, I returned a call to my older brother who was looking for the name of a song that my daughters sing. The song, based on Lamentations 3:22-23, reflects just how faithful God has been over one’s life. I believe that the title is, “Lord, You’ve Been So Faithful.” The words start out, “When I look back over my life, can’t you see how the Lord is blessing me.” The exchange of phones calls between me and my brother had God’s hands all over it. Even though I had to wrestle with the tests I had been through and the tests still to come, I finally understood that I had to change my focus. I had to look at the fact that the Lord was blessing me at that very moment! Am I ministering to myself or both of us? I had to stop dwelling on what was; had to cease worrying about what is, and focus on the future right now. Job did not do that, did he? Well, unlike Job, I had to start anticipating what blessings awaited me in the days, months, years, and even an eternity to come. I had to replace my struggling thoughts with a surging, optimistic outlook that the Lord will bless His faithful followers. I may not be perfect. My past record of all my days may not be blameless, but one thing I can realize is that the Lord keeps on blessing me and He is not done with me yet. I hope telling it like God intended; I hope my treading into the waters of transparency from a personal perspective, has impact on your life. I hope you will not only remember how good the Lord was to you in your past, but you don’t stop there. Look at your present blessings as God is with you in the midst of your tests. And look forward with great anticipation to how the Lord will bless you beyond your expectations. Love God! Stay faithful! Be blessed!
“And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.” (Romans 8:28 NASB)
Still committed to the climb,
Mark L. King