Thur.’s Devo - Suffering

Read: Job 34:1-36:33; 2 Corinthians 4:1-12; Psalm 44:1-8; Proverbs 22:10-12
Elihu was ruthless. He accused Job of keeping company with evil doers and wicked men. Elihu concluded that God only punishes men who do evil and since it is obvious to him that Job is being punished, Job had to have done something awful. Since Elihu said that God doesn’t do wrong or pervert justice, who is Job to stand up against God.
He continued to say that nothing he could do could affect God; our actions only affect man. He said that God is not answering Job because of his arrogance. Elihu claimed to be perfect in knowledge which sounded pretty arrogant to me. Elihu said that the arrogant are held in God’s affliction until they repent. If they repented their prosperity would return, but if they didn’t then they would die by the sword.
He accused Job of doing evil and dragging people away from their homes.
Paul had a handle on the gospel of hope and on suffering. He understood that this life is all about suffering and overcoming in the midst of it. We die daily in the flesh that the spirit of Christ might reign instead.
Lord, give us compassion on those who are suffering and help us not to judge.