Day Eight Back: Wed 25th Sep

Reflecting on Job: Chapters 14 - 17

I believe that the key to my recovery was accepting my circumstances.

Today, for the third day in a row, I woke up not feeling completely frail and feeble. As I continue this journey day by day, reading through Job and studying the words, praying, worshiping, and talking to Reb, hope ever so slowly grows. 

There is still much to be resolved. I am still waiting on the outcome of my reckless driving case, where I crashed my car into my condo’s pillar. When that’s cleared, it will be a breath of fresh air. I do yearn for such relief. I have been waiting for six months now to hear the results.

Chapters 14 to 17 of Job speak much of the true root of hope. He says that God can bring suffering and difficulty. This wears down a man through the course of his life, and that is how hope can be lost. He also says that his friends have failed as comforters, which was their original purpose. Job’s friends leave him with death as his only hope. 

In chapter 17, Job says something very profound. He says that if he were to accept what his friends are saying, he would be making his bed in darkness. Since Job was innocent, it would be a response void of faith that God is both sovereign and just. You see, Job was a truth seeker, and he fought for this even when he was knocked down. This is how he formed a truly intimate relationship with God: by being original and seeing things for what they are. It is in this honesty that helped him develop a mind of Christ, which his friends clearly lacked. Job is basically arguing for God’s character back to God, based on the belief that he is just. 

His lament ultimately comes with a posture of hope. When we are so very lost and broken, this is how we can find hope. By coming to God, and speaking in the anguish of our spirit and bitterness of our soul. That is hope because we are coming back to the creator, the true source, with our pain. That he may comfort us, take us on a healing journey and ultimately redeem us. 

Prayer: 

Dear King Jesus, there are many times (like right now) where I don’t understand what is happening. It is difficult to move forward without vision. But just as Job had aposture of hope, I pray that you build that in me, that though in this moment I may feel down, what flows from deep within is that very posture. Build me up to be a man of Christ once again, my King. Amen.