Job 34:21-37 - LOOKING BEYOND MYSELF AT CHRISTMAS

Job 34:21-37 - LOOKING BEYOND MYSELF AT CHRISTMAS

I remember asking my Mum if Santa was real. She would say, “He’s real if you want him to be real.” Not a good answer. "But how does Santa get around to all the children on Christmas Eve? He can’t be everywhere at the same time, can he, and the reindeer can't be that fast." Good question. One scientist calculates that he would have to make 900 visits per second, and travel at 265 times the speed of sound to visit 152 million homes on Christmas Eve (North Carolina State University 2009, December 5. Santa’s sleigh).

Why do children believe in SANTA? Why do they believe in GOD? Santa, it seems, has the same supernatural powers of God: He can be in every household at once, powerful enough to make a sleigh fly, carry a sack filled with what must be tons and tons of presents, get it and himself down a chimney despite his obesity, not to mention his ability to drink and drive. He is so intuitive that he knows who has been naughty and nice.

It’s not surprising then that Scientists Larivée and Sénéchal want to explore a deeper question: If children attribute the same supernatural powers to Santa as they do to God, why do they stop believing in Santa, but continue their belief in God? It seems that writing God off as a myth is a little more difficult for us to do.

In Job 34:21-22, Elihu is speaking to Job and to his friends. He makes some statements about God. He says “For God watches how people live; He sees everything they do. No darkness is thick enough to hide the wicked from His eyes” (NLT). There it is again, OMNIPRESENCE (God is all present) and OMNISCIENCE (He is all knowing). Darkness – no problem. He still sees me. I can’t hide from Him. I can reject or seek Him but I can’t hide from Him.

Lou Damon from Texas shared an article on his facebook page recently called “30 things to stop doing to yourself.” It includes “Stop spending time with the wrong people, stop running from your problems, stop lying to yourself.” Very helpful. Elihu would add “Stop lying to God. Stop trying to hide from God.” He says in Job 34:31-32 “Why don’t people say to God, ‘I have sinned, but I will sin no more’? Or ‘I don’t know what evil I have done—tell me. If I have done wrong, I will stop at once’?” Good advice.

When Job doesn’t co-operate, Elihu gets nasty and says “Job, you deserve the maximum penalty for the wicked way you have talked. For you have added rebellion to your sin; you show no respect, and you speak many angry words against God” (Job 34:35-37 NLT). Nice!

I encourage people when they are angry with God to ask Him the tough questions? I’m not talking about being arrogant, defiant, disrespectful, but about staying in communication with the One who has the answers. Of course if it is merely for the sake of griping and not genuinely seeking answers, then it is foolish. In Isaiah 45:9-13 (NLT) God says to us “What sorrow awaits those who argue with their Creator. Does a clay pot argue with its maker? Does the clay dispute with the one who shapes it, saying, ‘Stop, you’re doing it wrong!’ Does the pot exclaim, ‘How clumsy can you be?’ … Do you give Me orders about the work of My hands?” For a follower of Christ Romans 8:28 (NLT) says “And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to His purpose for them.”

Elihu gets it wrong concerning Job. All too easy to see fault in someone else. I admit. I get it wrong too. I look at the outward appearance of those around me, make assumptions and speculate. God, on the other hand, is able to look at a person’s heart (1 Samuel 16:7) and see them for who they are.

What intrigues me is that all through the scriptures the Lord gives people words of knowledge and wisdom, supernatural insight into the lives of people around them. I need the eyes of God if I am truly to understand the people I meet each day, to look deeper than the surface, to see the unseen things that are going on inside, to be aware of the issues of a person’s life, to take an interest in them, to be present and carry God’s presence with me.

That’s what Christmas is all about, isn’t it? God sending His Son into the world to identify with us to get us to LOOK BEYOND the limitations of ourselves. To get us to admit we get it wrong and need a Saviour in order to live our lives as God intended.

Pastor Ross

Created 5 months ago