Shut Up or Babble On?

“But now I am mocked by people younger than I, by young men whose fathers are not worthy to run with my sheepdogs. [Job 30.1]

Let talk long enough, pride will reveal itself.

If nothing else in Job's endless words indicts him, this verse stands all by itself and says, "I am better than others."

Oh my.

Perhaps Job's trials were a good thing. Before these trials, everyone thought Job was "something" including Job himself. But it really was not evident until the trials hit.

I don't for a moment think God was "declaring" Job innocent at the beginning of this story. But instead, I believe God was asking Satan "if he had considered Job" so that he (Satan) would understand that he was incapable of seeing what Job was really made of inside. All Satan could see was what was on the outside and that is what God said was "all good." But God knew what was on the inside. And it was what was on the inside of Job (evidenced in the verse above) that qualified him for the difficulties he encountered.

Side note: Good appearances may fool people we come in contact with, our friends, our family, our church and even Satan himself, but not God.

So, if we think about it, Job's and his friends' torrent of words actually helped them in the end to see the error of their ways, repent, and get forgiveness. 

That said, do we shut up then, or babble on?

Father, help me to understand how You reveal pride in us...