"Then Elihu said:
2 “Do you think it is right for you to claim,
‘I am righteous before God’?
3 For you also ask, ‘What’s in it for me?
What’s the use of living a righteous life?’
4 “I will answer you
and all your friends, too.
5 Look up into the sky,
and see the clouds high above you.
6 If you sin, how does that affect God?
Even if you sin again and again,
what effect will it have on him?
7 If you are good, is this some great gift to him?
What could you possibly give him?
8 No, your sins affect only people like yourself,
and your good deeds also affect only humans."
I would have to argue a different point than Elihu. I believe that our sin does affect God. It brings Him great grief. Each time that we sin, we contribute to the ongoing evil, pain, and suffering that takes place in this world. I don't think God just sits up there and watches it all happen without being 'affected' by it. Secondly, our good works CAN serve as gifts to our God. On numerous occasions, Paul wrote about us living our lives and doing the best we can on everything that we do, offering it all up as an offering and an act of worship to our God.
Verses 9-16:
They groan beneath the power of the mighty.
10 Yet they don’t ask, ‘Where is God my Creator,
the one who gives songs in the night?
11 Where is the one who makes us smarter than the animals
and wiser than the birds of the sky?’
12 And when they cry out, God does not answer
because of their pride.
13 But it is wrong to say God doesn’t listen,
to say the Almighty isn’t concerned.
14 You say you can’t see him,
but he will bring justice if you will only wait.
15 You say he does not respond to sinners with anger
and is not greatly concerned about wickedness.
16 But you are talking nonsense, Job.
You have spoken like a fool.”
I can't help but show some interest in verse 13. There are times when I can say that this seems true and there are times when I can say that this seems false. I think it's important to remember above all else that our God is an interpersonal God, seeking an interpersonal relationship with mankind, not some legal relationship. If we are able to keep this in the forefront of our minds, I think a lot of the troubling things we hear about God can be easily dismissed, remedied, or corrected.
"Father I pray that You would forgive us when we get things wrong. May we seek to grow closer to You, and in doing so not misrepresent You to the people around us. I pray that evangelism would become a high priority and passion of ours and that we would make the most of every opportunity You provide to share Jesus with the people who don't yet know Him. It's in Jesus' name that I pray, amen."
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