Daily Devotions – Job’s Complaint

Daily Devotions – Job’s Complaint

 

Image by Enrique Meseguer from Pixabay

 

Click this link to hear an audio version of the below text narrated by SOTH member Jerry Rhinehart: 

 

Job 10  (NIV)
10 “I loathe my very life; therefore I will give free rein to my complaint and speak out in the bitterness of my soul. 2 I say to God: Do not declare me guilty, but tell me what charges you have against me. 3 Does it please you to oppress me,
to spurn the work of your hands, while you smile on the plans of the wicked? 4 Do you have eyes of flesh? Do you see as a mortal sees? 5 Are your days like those of a mortal or your years like those of a strong man, 6 that you must search out my faults and probe after my sin— 7 though you know that I am not guilty and that no one can rescue me from your hand? 8 “Your hands shaped me and made me. Will you now turn and destroy me? 9 Remember that you molded me like clay. Will you now turn me to dust again? 10 Did you not pour me out like milk and curdle me like cheese, 11 clothe me with skin and flesh and knit me together with bones and sinews? 12 You gave me life and showed me kindness, and in your providence watched over my spirit.

13 “But this is what you concealed in your heart, and I know that this was in your mind: 14 If I sinned, you would be watching me and would not let my offense go unpunished. 15 If I am guilty—woe to me! Even if I am innocent, I cannot lift my head, for I am full of shame and drowned in my affliction. 16 If I hold my head high, you stalk me like a lion and again display your awesome power against me. 17 You bring new witnesses against me and increase your anger toward me; your forces come against me wave upon wave.

18 “Why then did you bring me out of the womb? I wish I had died before any eye saw me. 19 If only I had never come into being or had been carried straight from the womb to the grave! 20 Are not my few days almost over? Turn away from me so I can have a moment’s joy 21 before I go to the place of no return, to the land of gloom and utter darkness,
22 to the land of deepest night, of utter darkness and disorder, where even the light is like darkness.”

 

List the words with which Job accused God. Could you use any of those words, or have you?

 

Even though Job was an honorable man and was faithful to You, he was overwhelmed by a series of traumatic events. There are seasons in life that are like that, and it doesn’t feel fair. I have had some really tough times and they are when I need You the most. I know that You are righteous and I know that I need to trust You through those rough times, but I admit that sometimes it is really hard. I ask that You are patient with my doubts, frustrations, and self-pity. Please enlighten me and show me how You want me to learn and grow from the pain and fear. Make my faith stronger, my trust greater and my relationship with You deeper as a result, and fill my heart with Your comfort, confidence, and joy. Lord, I need You. Amen