Where are you looking for understanding?

Elihu is a young man compared to Job and his three ‘friends’. Because he is younger he has kept silent, while the wiser men have spoken. But because the ‘wiser’ men have not come to a conclusion as to why these things have happened to Job, Elihu becomes angry and begins to speak his mind.

Elihu is angry because Job is seemingly righteous in his own eyes. He is mad because Job keeps justifying himself. And he was angry because he felt the three friends of Job should have been able to give Job an answer. And in one of the longest speeches in the book of Job, Elihu lays out his thoughts on the matter of Job’s innocence and righteousness. And it is interesting to note that when it comes time for God to speak, it is only Elihu that God does not give a rebuke to. In his speech, Elihu says that wisdom should come with age, but true understanding comes from the Almighty God. It is the Spirit of God within men that brings true understanding. It is important for us to understand that the opposite is also true. Without the Spirit of God, there can be no true understanding.

The world is filled with experts that can tell you anything that you want to know about anything. No matter what is going on in your life, you can find someone that knows something about it. The thing that we need to know is what Spirit is within them. If it is not the Spirit of God, then the information they provide is not going to be true knowledge.

If we are trying to fix our car, our need for the mechanic to have true knowledge is somewhat reduced. It is quite another thing when the thing that needs to be fixed is your life, or your ministry, or your church. Unfortunately, people will go to ‘experts’ in one field or another to try to find and answer to what is wrong in their life, ministry, or church. If the Spirit of God is not the driving force of that source, than it is being driven by some other force that is probably contrary to God.

To fix my life, I need to go to the Creator of my life. To fix my ministry, I must consult with the Designer of that ministry. To fix my church, I should be talking to the Owner of The Church. To do otherwise is to invite inaccurate, incomplete, and flawed understanding into the matter. We must stop going to the world to seek answers and solutions to the things of our lives, ministries, and churches. It is the Spirit of God within us and others that can give us all the information and understanding that we need. Seek the Spirit of God in your life and seek those with the Spirit of God in their lives for the understanding that you need about all areas of your life, ministry, and church. Jesus, help us to seek the Spirit.

Read: Job 31:1-33:33; 2 Corinthians 3:1-18; Psalm 43:1-5; Proverbs 22:8-9