Job 17 is a short chapter where Job sheds the light for us that people are not the answer to his problem. Actually people are not the answer to any problem. Job says it this way: “You’re the only one who can do it”! God alone can deal with the reality of life. God alone can handle the problems and struggles we face. Too often we run to others to get their advice or counsel, we seek answers in books or online, we look everyplace except the source of all wisdom – God Himself. Prayer is the answer to life’s issues? It is through seeking God we get wisdom and answers – not man. Job is putting two and two together here. “These people are so useless” is his analysis of his three high powered friends. They have been with him for weeks and nothing has changed. They can’t fix anything, only wallow with him in the pit. So when we are dealing with life issues, when we are trying to understand what is going on, actually when we just want to know how to live – we need to go to the source of life and seek God. He alone has the answers, at least the right ones.
Job also let’s out a little bit about himself that describes me and maybe you. Check out what he says here: “All my plans are smashed, all my hopes are snuffed out”. Job is still holding on to his plans. Maybe a little pride going on here. I detect a little clinging to the past and what he wanted to do. It is a natural result for us to want to take ownership of things when times are good. Look at what I did….that sounds pretty impressive when all is well. Not so much when things go awry through. Job still calls it “my plans” here. We need to learn from this. Scripture tells us clearly that “my plans are not your plans said the Lord”. God has a set of very specific and perfect plans for each one of us. He absolutely has a plan for your life. But we have to line up with Him. He doesn’t adapt His plan to fit what we want it to be. He doesn’t check with us to see how the plan should be written. God wants us to seek Him and understand His plan for our life and then bless us as we line up with that plan. We have to get to the point where our desire is not about “my plan” but rather God’s plan. It has to be a complete shift from me to Thee. Are you spending time each day, moment by moment seeking God’s plan. Are you trying to know exactly how God wants you to live today? That is His desire. He wants to bless us indeed as we walk right down the center of His will for our life – day by day and moment by moment. It only happens when we die to our own plans and put His plan in the crosshairs. That has to be the target and what directs our life. Are you living that way? As we start 2009 there is no better time than today to start!
Posted by asorensen 
