“Hey There, Smarty Pants” (Job 40:6-10; 1 Cor.15:24-28;Matt.4:1ff )[Spanish Jerusalem Bible Series - Job sub-series] [Pandemic Series]
Yahweh calls out to Job from midst of tumult ’round about,
“How are you doing, smarty-pants, at driving evil out?
I notice in encounter you just had with evil one,
He cleaned your clot, and smacked you down, before you had begun –“To put a dint in his sad ways of life, like he did yours;
He stole your herds of cattle, killed the guys who did your chores;
He wiped out your economy, and took your children’s’ lives;
The only thing you’ve got is wife, few friends – and you’re alive.“I notice how the Sabians, Chaldeans, and the like,
Old satan used to mess with you (did what they thought was right) –
Not only could you not put down old satan in his ways,
You couldn’t even handle human life, where satan plays.“Forgive me if I’m not impressed with you and your wee stash;
As you bemoan your outcast state, you’d like to have the task
Of telling Me how best to do My task in universe –
I’ve got a problem on My hands, which you’d address much worse.“You see, old satan thought he could run things a better way –
‘This love, and peace, and hope, and joy, is boring’, he would say;
So he bought into ‘Push and shove’, and ‘Life of mean and mean’,
Accusing faithful folk to Me – ‘They are not what they seem!’“He wants Me to adopt his ways, bow down and be like him;
He’s conned mankind to go along, and better life begin;
I’ve got a long-term plan that does not use his nasty ways,
While putting him and all his ilk aside by end of days.I’m part way through My little plan – My ‘Kingdom plan’, it’s called;
And down the road, My Son will come, reverse old Adam’s fall;
But let’s not get ahead of things, let’s focus here on you –
If you can stomp malvedos down (that’s nasties) – praise is due!“But you’ve become acusidor, accusing Me; instead
Of satan, here accusing you to Me – look what he’s said –
he said your walk of faith and trust in Me was just a sham;
Just add a little trouble, and you’ll be old satan’s fan.“So first he hit possessions, as most folks will crumble there;
Then ‘Skin for skin’, he raised the stakes like skillful poker player;
So you got sick, and lost the rest; your friends came visit you;
Your wife just nagged; and they reviled your faithful point of view.“But, still you have not crumpled like the others of the world –
first hint of pain and loss and they bemoan the endless swirl
Of pinwheel’s fins which whirl around as storms blow desert heat,
Into their lives in constant swirl, which knocks them off their feet.“I’ll give a hint, My Kingdom-plan is ’bout the pinwheel’s pin,
As center-point of quietness, where all can rest from sin;
That is, rebellion satan leads against My ways of life,
Which generates those bad events called ‘Sins’ – that world of strife.“The Kingdom is My name for central pin, amidst the whirl –
Can’t stop the wind; can’t stop the fins from day of endless swirl;
But you can rest upon that central pin, and find your rest;
And in that central place in Me, mature as you are blessed.”Lord, we’re like Job, think we can smash old satan to the ground
(Or smugly strut our stuff, denying satan is around);
But look around! Pandemic closed the world economy,
And opened up the eyes of people to reality.One little bug, right time, right place, took off from one wee bat;
And spread – defenseless mankind was to virus’ quick attack;
That’s pretty small to do that much, what happens if one more
Wee virus hops to human life – in Job we know the score.Lord, there’s so much to think about, like exiles in their day,
Familiar with this story, maybe not retold this way;
But facing, just like Job (and us), a world that’s quite a mess,
And having to rebuild again, with ways they must confess –Are maybe not that wise – indeed, they strutted in their day;
For humans of all ages think they’re smart enough to say,
“I’d like to show a thing or two to God and His sick ways”,
Well – maybe reading Job will give us different things to say.Thanks Lord for this.
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