How Can You Say Such a Thing! 

Job is chided by Bildad. (8.2)   Obviously feeling those words to be inadequate, he follows with, "If you really were what you ought to be..." (8.6)  This is judgmentalism cloaked with piety. An attempt of this sort to denigrate your spirituality is probably driven by that friend's need to appear superior to you. It's important to sort out their problems from your own before taking their advice or criticism to heart.

Probably the reason Bildad chose to immediately follow his words in verse 2 with the statement in verse 6 is to close the possibility of his remark being understood as a question. He wanted it made plain he was making a statement. Now, there is a difference between talking and making a statement!

I seem to hear the Eternal and Holy Word more often, and more understandably, framed in a question than I ever have in the form of a 'thus saith the lord' statement. Consider the power of His Questions..."And the Lord God called unto Adam, and said unto him, 'Where art thou?' " And then..." 'Who told thee that thou wast naked?' " Perhaps the most poignant statement ever framed as a question - "But Jesus said unto him, 'Judas, betrayest thou the Son of Man with a kiss?' " 

God desires to enter into a dialogue with you. This is a conversation that will walk you through life and into eternity. It isn't so much that God wants to know where you are any more than He needed to know where Adam was. He KNEW where Adam was and He knows where you are. Adam's problem was the same as yours and mine - we don't really know where we are nor where we are going but we are convinced that if anything is wrong, it is not my fault!

It's the questions that bring answers, not the lectures. Philosophers have understood and practiced this at least since the days of Aristotle, some three hundred fifty years before Christ. Why do we decide it will work differently for us and proceed to lecture rather than asking the quiet, tender question of our loved one or friend?

Is it possible that the Lord is asking you the same type of question that He asked Peter that day, long ago on a lake shoreline somewhere southwest of Mount Hermon..., "lovest thou me more than these?"  Can you hear it? Listen carefully...turn your back to the noise and confusion of the moment - listen closely, do you hear the question, 'do you love me more than these, my friend?' 

It wasn't Bildad's place to define the 'these' nor is it mine to do so in your life. It is a question from the Friend Eternal to you. Whatever the confusion, the torment, the loss, the hurt..."lovest thou me more than these?"

If you concentrate on answering His question you need never fear chiding again.