Quote for the Day
“…comfort from my lips would bring you relief.”
Today's Prayer
Pray that those on the road will not be discouraged by the delays or changes they are forced to make. Ask God to give those traveling a special grace as they deal with the hassles of traveling. Pray that those at home are able to care for each other and remind them of God’s all-sufficient grace.
Job chapter 16
Job chapter 16 (NIV)1 Then Job replied:2 “I have heard many things like these; miserable comforters are you all!3 Will your long-winded speeches never end? What ails you that you keep on arguing?4 I also could speak like you, if you were in my place; I could make fine speeches against you and shake my head at you.5 But my mouth would encourage you; comfort from my lips would bring you relief.6 “Yet if I speak, my pain is not relieved; and if I refrain, it does not go away.7 Surely, O God, you have worn me out; you have devastated my entire household.8 You have bound me—and it has become a witness; my gauntness rises up and testifies against me.9 God assails me and tears me in his anger and gnashes his teeth at me; my opponent fastens on me his piercing eyes.10 Men open their mouths to jeer at me; they strike my cheek in scorn and unite together against me.11 God has turned me over to evil men and thrown me into the clutches of the wicked.12 All was well with me, but he shattered me; he seized me by the neck and crushed me. He has made me his target;13 his archers surround me. Without pity, he pierces my kidneys and spills my gall on the ground.14 Again and again he bursts upon me; he rushes at me like a warrior.15 “I have sewed sackcloth over my skin and buried my brow in the dust.16 My face is red with weeping, deep shadows ring my eyes;17 yet my hands have been free of violence and my prayer is pure.18 “O earth, do not cover my blood; may my cry never be laid to rest!19 Even now my witness is in heaven; my advocate is on high.20 My intercessor is my friendas my eyes pour out tears to God;21 on behalf of a man he pleads with God as a man pleads for his friend.22 “Only a few years will pass before I go on the journey of no return.
Message
Job once again feels alone. He continues to be discouraged by his friends’ help and painfully awaits God’s answer. In his response to his friends, he makes the first comment about how he would react if they had come through this difficult time instead of him. Verse 5 says, “But my mouth would encourage you; comfort from my lips would bring you relief.” This is what Job was looking for from both his friends and God. His friends brought nothing but accusations of sin and wickedness, and God remains silent.Even given these responses, Job still holds out hope. In verse 19, between cries to God and the pain so deep he wished for death, Job cries out, “Even now my witness is in heaven, my advocate is on high.” We see not only the expectation and shadow of Christ in this passage, we also see Job solidly holding onto his relationship with God. Verse after verse, Job talks of God and his punishment. Job does not hold it against God; he is only showing his friends that he is aware of the source. More importantly he is aware of the source of his salvation: the very same God. How about you? Are you sure this week? Do you know the source of all in your life? This week thank God for everything He has done for you!