Grand Sweep Daily
Job 33:23-28 (NIV)
23 Yet if there is an angel on his side as a mediator, one out of a thousand, to tell a man what is right for him,
24 to be gracious to him and say, Spare him from going down to the pit; I have found a ransom for him –
25 then his flesh is renewed like a child’s; it is restored as in the days of his youth.
26 He prays to God and finds favor with him, he sees God’s face and shouts for joy; he is restored by God to his righteous state.
27 Then he comes to men and says, I sinned and perverted what was right, but I did not get what I deserved.
28 He redeemed my soul from going down to the pit, and I will live to enjoy the light.
Good morning!
I got a splinter yesterday in my ring finger. Even though I was able to remove it, every time I move this appendage over the keyboard today, I am made acutely aware that it was once there! Have you ever felt the sharp sting of a splinter long after it has been removed?
Job was revisiting his splintered life. Once a whole and healthy man, privileged to live in a household full of love and hope, Job had experienced the blessings of God in a mighty way. As the life he once knew began to splinter away, Job found himself sinking in utter despair. He grieved the deaths of his children and continued to suffer an illness that would not let him go. Job is caught up in the sting of a thorn that has pierced his heart to the core and pinned him to the ground.
Young Elihu had listened intently to Job’s pleas for help and the ineffectual offerings spoken by his three so-called friends. He was smart enough to wait until his elders had finished speaking, and young enough to know how to speak the truth without fear. Elihu reminded Job that God speaks, even in utter silence. He can reach us through dreams, visions in the night, and even in the pain and suffering of a long, unending illness. Have you ever heard the Lord speak to you late at night, while you are lying in bed resting? Does He succeed in getting your attention through sickness and pain? What do you think the Lord was trying to convey to Job’s heart?
A young prophet spoke eloquently of a coming mediator, a human and divine splinter remover. He would be one out of a thousand who could demonstrate to the world the great love God has for His creation. He would be the difference between life everlasting and death. He would heal the broken and splintered hearts of humanity by shedding his blood for all of us. He would bear the splinters of our sin in His body, as He carried our cross to
This mediator is our splinter remover. Because of Him, we no longer have to stay in the pit of despair. We can live in the light of His love, the One who came to set us free. Elihu knew the mediator. Do you know Him? He is the one who can permanently remove the splinters in your life today.
Grace and peace,
Deb Spaulding
Pray for: the mediator to remove the painful splinters that separate you from the Father above. Ask Him to take the sins that have pierced your life and remove them from you, once and for all. Jesus Christ, the great mediator, is waiting to heal your heart today. Will you ask Him?
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© Copyright 2007, Deb Spaulding
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