We have examined
this, and it is true. So hear it and apply it to yourself (Job 5:27).
Word of mouth is one
of the most effective forms of advertising. Someone for whom we have respect
tells us, I tried it and I like it. I think you’ll like it too. That carries a lot of weight. As that
endorsement spreads from 1 to 2 to 7 to 1,000 people, we call it going viral. It attains a momentum of its own and becomes
almost impossible to stop. Advertising agencies spend loads of cash to achieve
that kind of spontaneous success.
But there’s nothing
more annoying than someone saying I should like something I don’t like just
because they tried it and they liked it. I live in the Pacific Northwest and I
don’t like coffee… never have and probably never will. Talk about pressure! It
doesn’t matter if your favorite brand really is the world’s best cup of coffee. To me that means it actually
tastes even more repulsive than the other brands. And no, thank you – even if
it costs me book sales – I have no desire to acquire the taste. I
hear people even now turning off their e-readers, closing their books,
shouting, “He doesn’t like coffee! He’s a wolf in sheep’s clothing. Run from
the wolf!”
…but I digress.
Job’s friends
ascribed to the popular philosophy of the day: Do right and you’ll
prosper; do wrong and you’ll suffer. But
no matter from whom or how many Job heard that message; he still couldn’t
accept it, because he knew it wasn’t true in his life.
TODAY’S MEDITATION
Have you ever felt
pressured to accept someone’s remedy for your life’s circumstances even though
you knew it didn’t fit? They mean well, but they’re not your Creator. Only he
knows what you really need. What’s wrong, and what is God saying to your heart?
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