Today Wendy is shooting this video on 'location' at her friend Erin's home. Wendy is old enough to be her mother, but young enough to be her friend. She's taping this video in Erin's bonus room. Wendy is cuddled up there waiting for the winter weather that is forecast for the weekend. In the South that means you have purchased your milk and bread and are prepared to camp out for the weekend. Wendy has done that and she's prepared for the wintry weather.
Wendy was fascinated by today's reading. She found it comical in verse 1 that Job's friends refused to reply further. They were done. They were finished. They sat silent for seven days then they said all they wanted to say. They were supportive and cut throat, combative and non-combative with him. Now they're not talking anymore. Suddenly we discover there's a fourth person there with them – Elihu. Elihu had sat quiet and listened and was not going to speak until everyone else had finished. In Job 32:8,18 we see the word 'spirit'. That is Spirit or breath of God. Elihu is saying that he is speaking for God or from the Spirit of God. Elihu means, “He is my God”. This is a man who has a relationship with God. He has held his tongue up until now and listened to the others share, but now he is getting his chance to speak. Wendy wanted to stand up and cheer for him because he had something worthwhile to say, and boy did he say it.
In Job 33:14, “For God speaks again and again though people do not recognize it.” So often we think God doesn't speak, but He does. He speaks again and again as Scripture tells us here. He speaks in dreams and visions in the night and whispers in our ear. Oh that we would be close enough to hear his whispers. He also speaks through messengers, Pastors, Bible teachers, music etc. He speaks again and again.
When Wendy was in her early 30's she didn't think God would speak to her. She wasn't in leadership, she wasn't an author, she wasn't an influence in the Christian community, but that doesn't matter. God speaks to us. He wants to speak to us daily even if it's a whisper.
He also speaks through friends and that's what Wendy wants to talk about today. Job has had some friends speaking to him. We don't know their relationship with the Lord. We know very little about them. We see Elihu had a relationship with God. Elihu is speaking from the Spirit. Wendy has a couple of friends like that. They speak to her and they are “straight shooters”. They speak plainly, bluntly, but with love, grace and mercy and with the perspective that they know Wendy wants a close relationship with the Lord. They want to encourage her in her walk with the Lord, keep her humble and away from sin, and they will call a spade a spade in her life. She has a couple of friends that do this in her life. Her BFF is Kristy and they have known each other since being in the church nursery together. They are always straight and up front with one another. Wendy also has some really good friends that she has made in her adult life that shoot straight with her. One is Stacey. They can go to one another and cut to the chase. They can ask each other about their relationship with the Lord and how God is speaking to them. Her friend Cheri helped Wendy release a stronghold of watching Soap Operas. Wendy was addicted to about four different “Soaps”. Cheri prayed for her. Sometimes Wendy would come home and find her answering machine flashing and it would be Cheri. “Wendy, it's 3:00pm and I want to know what you're watching.” What a friend. She cared enough about Wendy that she would call and ask what she was watching. Cheri wanted the very best for Wendy and cared enough to speak truth straight with her in grace and mercy.
In your comments today lets talk about our friends who encourage us in this way. If you don't have one, pray and ask the Lord to give you one. Basically today, Wendy wants to hear, who is your Elihu?
(All thoughts transcribed from Wendy's blog to aid those whose computers are not capatible to view these videos.)
1 comment:
Joy, thank you for posting. I had a very hard time hearing the vlog this morning and seemed to miss much of it. I appreciate the time and energy it takes you to transcribe the vlog.
May God richly bless you.
In Him,
Gaylene
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