OH, CHURCH
Today's reading:  Job 11-12

"If only you would prepare your heart and lift up your hands to him in prayer!" Job 11:13 NLT

Oh, Church--

We're so much like Job's should've-kept-quiet friends.

We think we know what's needed.  We think we know how another can 'fix' their problems. We think we have their sins all figured out. We think a quick prescription of more confession will fix any drowning soldier. We think we see the whole picture. We think we can straighten the issues out. We think since we've experienced it, lived through it, never dealt with it or have stuffed it so far down inside us without anyone knowing, we have the answers.

We don't have a clue.

At any point, I'd love to have told any of Job's friends--refer back to the beginning of Job's book.

Verse 1-There was a blameless man. One of complete integrity. He feared God and stayed away from evil.
Verse 5-This was Job's regular practice to offer sacrifices for his children.
Verse 8-Have you seen my servant Job, said God.

Sometimes, a lot of times, most times, it's not about what we see.

We don't have God-eyes. We don't know the plan and purpose God has set in motion. We don't know the lessons needing to be learned, the pages of testimony needing to be written or the purifying of hearts and wills needing to be done.

We just don't know--and since we don't know, our best route to take is one led by God and God alone. No appraisals of the situations. No reports on what we think we understand. No advice given that isn't based solely on the Word of the Lord. No opinions. No quick retorts. No church-lingo quotes or one-liners.

When we think we know what's best, our best bet might be to pray about it a little more before saying it out loud.