As I was listening to these verses one thing came to mind: What a monster I am.
Why are not times of judgment kept by the Almighty, and why do those who know him never see his days?
Some move landmarks; they seize flocks and pasture them. They drive away the donkey of the fatherless; they take the widow's ox for a pledge. They thrust the poor off the road; the poor of the earth all hide themselves.
Behold, like wild donkeys in the desert the poor go out to their toil, seeking game; the wasteland yields food for their children. They gather their fodder in the field, and they glean the vineyard of the wicked man.
They lie all night naked, without clothing, and have no covering in the cold. They are wet with the rain of the mountains and cling to the rock for lack of shelter. There are those who snatch the fatherless child from the breast, and they take a pledge against the poor.
They go about naked, without clothing; Hungry, they carry the sheaves; Among the olive rows of the wicked they make oil; They tread the winepresses, but suffer thirst.
From out of the city the dying groan, and the soul of the wounded cries for help; yet God charges no one with wrong.
In your minds eye do you not see those in this world who are suffering? I see and I am shamed. Because I see and I do not act.
I listened to this as I was driving and I wanted to pull over and weep. Weep for those in pain and weep in anger against myself. I dwell over dollars I want to spend on myself for things I don't need. While I do not spend nearly enough of my own self in service of others.
As I listened it wasn't about "Where is God?" ... it was about "Where am I?"
I don't know if it is sad or telling that Job didn't know that he had somewhat answered his own question of "Where is God?". He probably couldn't see through his own pain to truly listen to the words that the LORD gave him to speak.
Where is God for the fatherless? For the widows? For the poor? For the suffering?
I delivered the poor who cried for help, and the fatherless who had none to help him. The blessing of him who was about to perish came upon me, and I caused the widow's heart to sing for joy.
I was eyes to the blind and feet to the lame. I was a father to the needy, and I searched out the cause of him whom I did not know. I broke the fangs of the unrighteous and made him drop his prey from his teeth.
If I have rejected the cause of my manservant or my maidservant, when they brought a complaint against me, what then shall I do when God rises up? When he makes inquiry, what shall I answer him? Did not he who made me in the womb make him? And did not one fashion us in the womb?
If I have withheld anything that the poor desired, or have caused the eyes of the widow to fail, or have eaten my morsel alone, and the fatherless has not eaten of it (for from my youth the fatherless grew up with me as with a father, and from my mother's womb I guided the widow)
If I have seen anyone perish for lack of clothing, or the needy without covering, if his body has not blessed me, and if he was not warmed with the fleece of my sheep, if I have raised my hand against the fatherless, because I saw my help in the gate.
Then let my shoulder blade fall from my shoulder, and let my arm be broken from its socket. For I was in terror of calamity from God, and I could not have faced his majesty.
Job acted. And why did he act? For the LORD. When the cry goes out "Where is the LORD?" the answer should have those that suffer pointing their fingers at a Christian and saying "The LORD is in you! For I see Him and feel Him!"
And what a list Job has given me. Have I ...
... delivered the poor? ... helped those that had no help? ... made their heart sing for joy? ... become eyes to the blind? ... become feet to the lame? ... been father to the fatherless? ... searched out the cause of him whom I did not know? ... broken the fangs of the unrighteous?
If I do not act what then?
As Mordecai told Esther, “For if you keep silent at this time, relief and deliverance will rise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father's house will perish. And who knows whether you have not come to the kingdom for such a time as this?”
They have hope in God. Deliverance and justice will come, if not now then in the age to come. But, God has put this before me NOW.
O LORD and Heavenly Father ... help me to be as Job.
Get up ... Dress ... Put on sandals ... Wrap your cloak ... Follow me.
Peter was sitting in jail waiting for his death. If God wanted He could have just moved him from the jail and into his friends home. Why not?
As we sit in the darkness of our lives. As we sit in chains beside the people who are against us and who inflict pain beyond measure. As the night comes ... and still we suffer ... and still we pray for deliverance.
We pray that God will 'poof', make it go away.
That would be nice. But, that isn't what builds up a stronger man or woman. Even Peter had to get up to get out of the prison. And as we struggle we need to do likewise.
Get up. Stand and look upon the LORD.
Dress. Get your body, mind, and soul ready for what God will have in store for you.
Put on your sandals. Prepare yourself for the walk. A walk in LORD.
Wrap your cloak. Wrap yourself in the Word of the LORD. In the people that he will bring into your life. Reach out and let them wrap their arms around you.
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