Scripture: Job 11-12; Acts 15-16
Job 12:1-3 Job answered:
“I’m sure you speak for all the experts,
and when you die there’ll be no one left to tell us how to live.
But don’t forget that I also have a brain—
I don’t intend to play second fiddle to you.
It doesn’t take an expert to know these things.…
Job 12:7-12 “But ask the animals what they think—let them teach you;
let the birds tell you what’s going on.
Put your ear to the earth—learn the basics.
Listen—the fish in the ocean will tell you their stories.
Isn’t it clear that they all know and agree
that God is sovereign, that he holds all things in his hand—
Every living soul, yes,
every breathing creature?
Isn’t this all just common sense,
as common as the sense of taste?
Do you think the elderly have a corner on wisdom,
that you have to grow old before you understand life?
Observation: Zophar, Job’s friend points out that Job’s sins must be the cause of his calamity. Job responds in this passage to demonstrate that God’s relationship with Job is also a factor in Job’s response to the situation. God’s wisdom is self-evident in God’s creation and common sense.
Application: I sometimes fall into the trap of thinking that so much of God’s wisdom lies in the “not yet,” when in actuality, following God is sometimes as simple as doing the right thing despite adversity. Some folks say that an expert is merely a person who is more than 30 miles from home carrying a briefcase… Maybe we know more than we think. Maybe discipleship isn’t rocket science. Perhaps we’re better able to follow Christ than we think.
Prayer: Lord, please make common sense a little more common. Help me help your disciples to have more confidence in their ability to read and understand your Word so that they might follow more closely in your footsteps. And all that goes double for me, please. Thanks. Amen.
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