Elihu

I'm reading through Job. Most days, I don't really know what to do with the passage I read from Job for quiet time.

I'm at the part where Elihu, the youngest of Job's friends and the last to speak, speaks. It's the only part that's in the way of me getting to the grand finale in which the LORD owns everyone at everything.

Elihu talks a lot. His spiel is even longer than God's. This guy is passionate and long-winded and angry. He has enough sense to bite his tongue in the beginning and he's definitely not un-wise. But his strong belief and eloquence (and maybe even good intent somewhere in there) don't make him any less totally mistaken.

I can identify with Elihu (this is different from finding my identity in Elihu, just to clarify).
I am Elihu sometimes when I blog - even whatever good things I try to share become bad, because the focus has shifted from the awesomeness of God to the awesomeness of me (I pray that this is not true at the moment)
I can also think of moments when I played the Elihu in someone else's life. And later on, I think about it and I am ashamed, although I usually only had the best intentions.
To be honest, a lot of times when fellow brothers and sisters come to me with their problems, this is part of the reason I feel so helpless when I'm supposed to be strong for them. I can think of things to say, but I almost never say it because I feel like I don't have the right to say "I totally understand". I feel pressured to say words that are perfect like apples of gold in settings of silver. I'm disappointed when I can't sense the Spirit leading me to say one thing or another. I feel useless.

Jason Tarn once talked about (or talked about a book that talked about) how every sin in our life can be traced back to unbelief. God, I want to believe You fully in this aspect. God, I'm afraid of being Elihu, the young and knowledgeable but totally misguided. Sometimes, I'm sad because I feel like it's taken / is taking so long for me to know the Spirit. But You said that "anyone who trusts in Him will not be put to shame." You said "seek ye first" and "delight yourself in the LORD". And you also said that You make all things beautiful in Your time.

He knows my heart. He knows when I'm trying to hear the Spirit's call for selfish reasons and He knows when I earnestly seek Him on behalf of someone. He will do what is pleasing in His sight. There is no fear. There is only quietness and trust, and it is well with my soul.

He is in control of my sisterhoods and my sisters' lives.