Am I Enough – A Throne of Ashes

Greetings Dear Reader,

Job maintains his integrity.  God points this out to Satan.  Satan takes Job’s health.  He does so with God’s permission and is forbidden from killing Job.  I suppose if Job can endure the loss of his children and all he has he can endure this.  The sickness is not what would trouble me here.

Still, I must wonder for a moment if God could use me as an example when I am going through pain and sorrow.  I know that I struggle to be righteous when I am hurting.  I do not doubt God but I am not as good to others.  Remember that God is trying to show his servant off as an example of what he desires from us as his children.

What amazes me is what comes next.  I do not know for sure because I cannot be in the mind of Mrs. Job but I have trouble seeing a good motivation for what she says to Job.  I do know that I will not malign her here.  Remember that she too just lost her children.  She too saw the ruin of all her husband had built for her family.  She too is in pain.

I cannot, however, see a good motivation for telling one’s spouse to “curse God and die.”  She maintains that Job should not hold on to his principles.  This indicates that for at least that moment she does not share them.  I do not believe I could have responded in as good a way as Job did.

In the midst of the pain, suffering, and ashes Job says to his wife, “We accept the good that God gives us. Shouldn't we also accept the bad?"  The writer comments that in all of this Job did not speak a sinful word.  I know that I have not responded this way to pain.  I know that I have not given my all to doing right when I am sick, sorrowful, or damaged.

No matter how much I am hurting in the moment I must not use that hurt as an excuse to be less than faithful to God.  I must not speak anything that diminishes who God is in the situation.  I must not be unkind to others just because I am hurting.  It becomes important that what Job says matters so much.  We will get to that later on in the journey.

For now my focus must be on assuring that I do not say anything in my own pain that harms others.  Even if those closest to me say things that are wicked I must keep my integrity and not sin with my lips.  The only way that works for me is if I also assure that I do not sin in my thoughts.  I must think of others even in pain. I must ponder the needs of others and not look at my own needs. 

At the end of this chapter Job’s friends show up to comfort him.  Good friends are an amazing thing.  In the midst of sorrow those whom we know love us can be an unspeakable comfort.  Perhaps even they can help us find peace in our pain.  We shall see starting tomorrow.  For now I will sit silently with Job and ponder how I can think less of me and more of others even when I am hurting.  After all is that not what Christ did?

Less of Me – Glen Campbell

Let me be a little kinder. Let me be a little blinder.

To the faults of those about me, let me praise a little more.

Let me be, when I am weary, just a little bit more cheery.

Think a little more of others and a little less of me.

Let me be a little braver when temptation bids me waver.

Let me strive a little harder to be all that I should be.

Let me be a little meeker with the brother that is weaker.

Let me think more of my neighbor and a little less of me.

Let me be, when I am weary, just a little bit more cheery.

Let me serve a little better those that I am striving for.

Let me be a little meeker with the brother that is weaker

Think a little more of others and a little less of me.

Think a little more of others and a little less of me.

Wishing you joy in the journey,

Aramis Thorn

Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every writer who has become a disciple of Christ’s rule of the universe is like a home owner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure store."