Poetry – Job 29-30
The good old days! People my age tend to always talk about those good old days…
Were they really better than today?
Job also spent quite a bit looking back today.
Bible Passage: Job 29-30
We find that as Job’s trials continued, and coupled with the ‘advice’ of his 3 friends that wore him out, Job 
began to look back to his more prosperous past (Job 29:2).
We do too, don’t we? Especially when we are in the midst of uncertain waters… or dark days.
There are many of such examples in the Bible – especially the Israelites in the wilderness.
Oh… we remember what we ate in Egypt.
This is not unusual but let us look at some of the issues Job was addressing in today’s passage. I can think of it in the form of tough questions that we have to also ask ourselves…
If we are living in the midst of success now, is it necessarily a sign that God is with us (Job 29:2-8)?
Or if we are living in difficult times, does that necessarily mean that God is against us?
What do you think before reading the passage? And after?
We, who know the ending of Job’s story, know that Job finally discovered that external circumstances are not necessarily the result of God working in and through one’s life.
What are your views?
How important is it to us that others respect and admire us (29:7-11)?
Should we interpret the words and actions of other people as indications of God’s opinion of our lives?
Job eventually decided against doing so. Even when his former associates turned away from Job in his poverty and trial, Job knew that he was innocent of wrong doings. Yes, even when his 3 close friends rebuked him harshly, he knew and was finally vindicated by God Himself (42:7-8).
When is it we are closer to God? Is it when we are in a position of strength and can offer support for others (29:12-17) or is it when we are weak and broken down and must depend on others (30:9-15)?
We have heard many times that it is easy for us to honour God in good times and murmur against Him in bad. This is true for a lot of us.
But looking back at what Job has said and did, he has honoured God in times of prosperity (1:1-3) as well as times of adversity (1:22; 2:9-10).
Can we be like him?
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PS
Job helped many people from different walks of life(29:12-17)during his good days. However there was 1 group whom Job did not help ie whose fathers I disdained to put with the dogs of my flock(30:1-8). This group came back to taunt him as vile men(30:9-14).
This remind us that we have to be wise with whom we are associating with, even if it is to offer our helping hands. Prov1: 10-19, if sinners entice you, do not consent.
Remember God always and cry out to Him for help(30:18-21,24) God makes everything well in His time.