In today’s reading in chapter 31, Job challenges his friends to find fault with him. Since they could not convince Job of any wrong doing, Job’s friends stopped trying. Starting in Chapter 32, there is a younger man named Elihu who has been listening to their conversation. He has been respectful in waiting for the older men to speak and now takes the opportunity to share his perspective. We spend the next few chapters listening to Elihu’s words. While Job may not have deserved the severity of his punishment, he is no different from us; someone who is imperfect and needs to receive grace when we probably deserve death.
2013 Day 262 – Job 31-33, Isaiah 6
19 Thursday Sep 2013
Posted in Daily Reading
Daily Devotion 
Elihu is a wonderful example of those people in our lives who claim the Holy Spirit is prompting them to say what they are saying, who are wonderfully sincere and oh so wrong. We must be very careful what we listen to and check it against who we know God to be. We must be careful when someone has a “word” for us. Sometimes it is right on, but we must weigh it all. (My favorite, “God told me it’s time for you to move out” Me: “Really? He didn’t tell me that.” :)) People say things out of all sorts of motivations. That roommate, for example, could not handle confrontation so instead of trying to work out differences or just saying she didn’t like living with me, she played the God card. I used to play the Holy Spirit card a lot…and I truly thought it was him prompting me, but how many of those times was I wrong and out of line? How many people have been led in the wrong direction? Oh the arrogance. It kills me when I think about it. But it’s something I have learned from. I pray daily to keep my words in check. They are very very powerful. Just another daily reminder of how much I need Jesus.