In Job 15, Eliphaz speaks again. This time he accuses Job more directly of sin and points out that the evil man’s wealth doesn’t last for long. The common wisdom of the day (which is often still the wisdom of our day!) told Eliphaz Job could not be righteous. Otherwise, he would not be in the condition he was. While this has been the line of reasoning all along, Eliphaz’s comments have become more direct.
Job responds in chapters 16-17, that he could also speak such things if one of them were in his situation, but their “comfort” is not comfort at all. Job continues to profess his innocence and calls on God to show them he is righteous. Job’s comments seem to go back and forth between responses to Eliphaz and the LORD. Job recognizes in his situation the best he can hope for is to go down to Sheol. His life was wasting away and his anguish was great. All of us have times when we’re “down.” Many of us have times of depression. Job was at the point of desperation. He knew in his heart he was righteous, and yet his “comforters” accused him of sin, while God remained silent. We learn from this moment in Job’s life that sometimes our situation seems hopeless, but as I was reminded long ago: hopeless is not a Christian word. When God is for us our situation is never hopeless, and in Jesus God is always for us! Whether we feel God’s presence, He has promised never to leave us nor forsake us. How vital it is to remember that when we are going through the valleys in our lives.
As we return to Matthew 17, we reread the account of Jesus’ transfiguration with Moses and Elijah. Peter, James and John witnessed this amazing event, and it was beyond their ability to comprehend. Peter wanted to stay there on the mountain, as we often do when we’re experiencing “mountaintop” moments in our own lives, but Jesus brought them down from that experience. Always the teacher, Jesus told them not to speak of the event until He had risen from the dead, and also told them John the Baptist was the Elijah who was to come to prepare the way for Him. When the four men returned to the valley, the remaining nine disciples were struggling ineffectively to cast a demon out of a boy. The boy’s father was desperate for his son to be cured, but the disciples had no success. The man turned to Jesus and asked Him to do something if He could. The man was unsure at this moment whether anyone could help him, but he turned to Jesus. Jesus made it clear anything is possible for those who believe in Him. The man’s answer was so honest, “I believe. Please, help me in my unbelief.” In other words, I have a little faith, so give me more. Give me enough to see my son healed. Jesus healed the boy, demonstrating He is always sufficient regardless of the level of our belief. The disciples couldn’t understand why they failed. Jesus told them sometimes it takes prayer and fasting for success in casting out particular demons. Jesus wants us to understand spiritual warfare is just that–warfare. We can’t assume a “little” prayer will be sufficient to bring about victory. Our enemy, Satan, is a loser, but he isn’t a quitter. He and his minions will fight until Jesus returns and sends them all into the abyss He has prepared for them. Until then, we must remember to believe in Jesus, and to grow and develop that power through prayer, obedience, and calling on the Holy Spirit to empower us more and more with each passing day. The process of living our lives as Jesus’ followers requires we give everything we have, and then letting God do everything we can’t. With that combination victory comes in every area of our lives, because Jesus has promised us it will.