Day 141, or May 21. It's easy for you to say. Our thoughts are from Job 16, verse 3. Will
your long-winded speeches never end? What ails you that you keep on arguing?
Another big picture surrounding this verse. The debate goes on and on. Job tells his friends
that he could say what they are all saying if their situations were reversed. But he
would like to think he would be more helpful than they are. Their words are very accurate,
but they miss the point and are very unhelpful. He tells his friends that they are very poor
comforters in which there is no comfort at all. He wonders if God is using him as an
example to deter others. He questions whether God may have made him a byword that others
may spit at and scornfully despise—an example of what happens to a man when he sins against
God. At least this makes a sort of sense, and partially answers his questions of why
things are so bad. Job does all he can to show his sorrow before God, by wearing sackcloth
and ashes, but all it does is make his life even more of a misery without helping him.
He is still puzzled as to why his life has taken such a disastrous turn, and no one seems
able to help.
And now to today's action step. I used to have a poster on my study wall, which I am
sure Job would have used if posters had been available in 2000 B.C. It said, When all is
said and done, there's a lot more said than done. I think all business meetings should
have this to open and close their sessions. Mind you, personal conversations are the same,
aren't they? How much easier it is to give advice rather than actually doing something!
How clear a football fan can seem to have grasped the situation until someone gives
him the ball to demonstrate it! How I long for someone to respond to my request for help
by telling me that they will come round to my house to see me and show me how it's done.
Next time you are about to give advice, consider taking action instead.