Today's Reading:

Job 10
Job 11
Job 12
Job 13

 
Job, in his pain feels that his suffering will never end- he begs God to just let him die because every day drags on forever. When you are the one hurting, time can feel endless, but when you are watching someone else suffer, it is easy to just say “hang in there” or “God is with you” because you are not the one living in the agony. Job’s story reminds us to be patient and kind to people who are going through hard times because unless you have been in their exact darkness, it is hard to know how long it is before the light shines at the end of the tunnel. Remind yourself to pray that the Lord forgives you for the times you have rushed someone else’s grief just because you were not the one carrying it.  

Job had continued his rant to God, unaware that God allowed Satan to crush him for a higher purpose, yet he did eventually repent in humility (42:6). Job’s instinct when faced with trouble was to fall to the ground in worship. In his misery, he challenged himself in his self-righteousness to understand why God had allowed these circumstances and calamities. Divine justice is never wrong- God will not reject someone who is righteous. Job knew God was always just, so how could we compete, Job was looking for some peace in his life before his time came to die (9:32-35). God had molded and created him, so in this short fleeting life was there some mercy in his suffering?  

In chapter 11, Zophar, friend #3 was introduced through his lack of compassion for Job and the situation, recognizing that God knows all creation as He made all creation. God is omniscient, He knows the heart and the intentions behind it- if evil and deception are planned, God knows. Zophar stated that God was keeping track and even allowing some of it to slide, but if you turned your heart in true repentance and pray for help, then God would also see that and brighten the days ahead as there was hope and restoration to come through the Messiah. 

Job responded sarcastically and told his friends they were not high and mighty and why did they turn him into a laughingstock; they were being awful friends. Job told them he was not stupid, even animals and nature understand that God controls everything and can crush whatever is in His path. Job just wanted his chance to stand before God and plead his case, so he told his friends to be quiet because they do not know everything and how would it turn out for them if they were to stand in judgment in front of God? Job urged them that if he had wronged anyone, to come forward- if it were true then he would “be silent and die.” This chapter completed the first cycle of the friends’ speeches against Job. 

Job looked at how short and fragile human life was with days that are numbered and wanted relief from the pain. Only God can give hope beyond grace, but Job felt doomed with no second chance and did not want his friends to rush his healing. Job moved from personal anguish, to clinging to hope that someday, someway, somehow God might show him mercy. Let us learn to sit quietly with the Jobs in our life instead of rushing to answers, because some pain is so deep that the only honest prayer left is “if this is all that there is, then Lord, give me a moment’s rest before the end.” 

Today's Discussion question: 

Take a moment to pray: Ask God to forgive you for any times you’ve rushed or minimized someone else’s grief just because it wasn’t your own burden to carry. How does, or does it not help you? 

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