Samuel D. High
sdhigh@aristotle.net
-----Original Message-----
From: Apostle Tom <pressingon@hotmail.com>
Sent: Fri, 20 Jun 2008 18:14:25 -0500
To: <pressingon@hotmail.com>
Subject: Morning Manna (June 21); BP: Job 29; RBTTY: Acts 5:22-42; Esth. 3-5
June 21 “The Blessing and Curse of Memories”
“Moreover Job continued his parable and said, ‘Oh that I were in months past, as in the days when God preserved me. . .when His candle shined upon my head and when by His light I walked through darkness. . .as I was in the days of my youth, when the secret of God was upon my tabernacle. . .when the Almighty was yet with me. . .when my children were about me’.”
Job 29:1-5
They are either windows of light for the soul or mournful musings of what once was.
Memories.
Of all of God’s creatures, we humans are the only ones whose mind is a virtual computer, whose fertile hard drive retains sights, sounds and smells from the time of our birth. Although our ability to access some of this information grows harder with age, the fact remains that our memories can either be a blessing or a curse—depending upon which “file folder” we select and choose to dwell in.
There’s no doubt Job’s musings in today’s Manna were of “what used to be.” And, instead of uplifting him, they were weighing him down. A closer examination of what’s really being said in between the lines reveals great agony of soul for this struggling saint of God.
His words of “Oh that I were in months past, as in the days when God preserved (Heb. ‘shamar’—‘to hedge about as with thorns, to guard, protect, attend to, etc.’) me” clearly imply he’s wondering why God’s not preserving him now. Remember: His theology (and that of his “friends”) said “If you do well, you’re blessed; if you sin, you suffer.”
Thus, the fact the he’d lost everything he had, all of children and most of his servants had died (1:1-19) and his body was covered with boils (2:7) made him feel like God had forsaken him. Coupled with his other sad words of “when His candle shined upon my head and I walked through darkness by His light. . .when God’s secrets were clearly revealed to me. . .when I felt His Presence so close. . .when I laughed and played with my children, etc.”. . .it’s clear that Job felt like David in his painful, personal reflections in Psalm 42.
Job also remembered when his material blessings were plentiful (v.6), when others respected him (vv.7-11, 21-25), when he reached out to those in need (vv.12-16) and when his strength (physically and spiritually) was strong. But, now all of those are gone (30:1-31), leaving him to feel spent (30:16-18) and oppressed by God (30:15, 19-24, 26).
Oh, dear Pilgrim, if we do not “capture our thoughts/memories and bring them under Jesus’ Lordship” (II Cor. 10:5). . .or “give thanks in all things” (I Thess. 5:18) . . .or “rejoice and leap for joy in the Holy Spirit” (Lk. 6:23; Phil. 4:4-9). . .our memories will be monsters that haunt and taunt us (Ps. 42:3-4, 6-7, 9-10). Much better is to do a little “soul-talk” and by faith say, “Hope in God—for I shall yet praise Him, Who is the health of my countenance and my God” (Ps. 42:5, 11). Help us, dear Lord.
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