Dark

Re:Verse passage – Job 7:1-21 (day three)

“Will You never turn Your gaze away from me,
Nor let me alone until I swallow my spittle?”

Is it a good thing for God to take notice of you? You might say yes, especially when you think of our Lord’s anguished cry from the Psalms as he suffered: “My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?” But in this passage, Job views God’s attentiveness as an unbearable burden. If you had said to Job, “May God be near you in this time,” he may well have replied, “That’s the problem.” Sometimes individuals develop a view of God that tortures them instead of comforting them. A person can get to the point at which she believes God is disgusted with her no matter what she does. What recourse does she have then? This book keeps getting darker.

The Long Haul

Re:Verse passage – Job 7:1-21 (day two) So am I allotted months of vanity, and nights of trouble are appointed me. vs. 3

It is often not the initial shock of grief or pain that can be the most trying, it is when it lingers weeks, months, years that it becomes almost unendurable. Perhaps you know that persistent feeling of loss. When a diagnosis comes, or after a loss there is often an initial outpouring of love, support, and care. What happens a month later? Six months? There is rarely a predictable timetable for grief. Standing beside those who are in loss is a long game endeavor. It doesn’t need to be meals, or hours of sitting in their living rooms, but it may require a phone call on a consistent basis with no expectations.

Re:Verse Blog – 03/28/22

Re:Verse passage – Job 7:1-21 (day one)

Join us as Senior Pastor Chris Johnson, Associate Pastor Aaron Hufty, and Associate Pastor Bryan Richardson walk us through Job 7:1-21 in our Spring Re:Verse Series: “JOB – Through the Storm.”

The Weight of Emotion

Re:Verse passage – Job 2:11-13, 22:5-6, 9-11 (day seven)

When they lifted up their eyes at a distance and did not recognize him. vs 12

What caused Job to become unrecognizable? We immediately go to verse 7 and blame it on the boils (he was covered from head to toe), but it is probably more than even that. Have you ever walked with someone through an extended season of extreme stress or trauma? This type of emotion takes a toll on the body. Just look at inauguration pictures of presidents compared to their exit. Look at a youth minister before and after an all night lock-in. The weight of stress takes a toll just as much physically as it does emotionally. It is a burden that is being carried even if it is not immediately visible.

How do we help our friends who are carrying immense burdens? How do we find relief for the burdens we are carrying? The apostle Paul says it well in Galatians 6:2, “Bear one another’s burdens, and thereby fulfill the law of Christ. ” We need friends to come along side us. We need to come along side our friends. No one was made to walk through trials alone. We are Better Together!

Did They Help?

Re:Verse passage – Job 2:11-13, 22:5-6, 9-11 (day five) “Then they sat down on the ground with him for seven days and seven nights with no one speaking a word to him, for they saw that his pain was very great.”

At first glance, Job’s three friends come bringing comfort and kindness. Their motive was sincere- to help their friend. They sat with him- on the ground- and in silence. A closer look at the text might be very telling as to their ultimate effectiveness.  I think their initial presence and silence were both helpful and appropriate. But to sit in silence for seven days seems a bit “eerie” to me. And the text says they didn’t speak a word to him. Perhaps they spoke to each other- further isolating Job and causing even more pain. The friends came with kind intentions, able to sympathize to a point but perhaps were unable to bring real comfort to Job. Pain and suffering tend to bring about loneliness.

I have good news. The cross and resurrection of Jesus means that no believer should ever have to suffer to the same depth of loneliness Job did, because Jesus endured far more suffering and was far more alone- suffering into death – deserted by friends and ultimately His Father. We have a savior who knows and has experienced that kind of suffering. And Jesus sends us His Holy Spirit to be with us and in us always (we are never alone).  Not only that but the Holy Spirit speaks to us (not sitting beside in silence)- reminding us of God’s faithfulness, power, and promises- bringing comfort not isolation. See John 14:16, 26. We don’t have to suffer alone.  Isn’t that good news?!

What Do You See?

Re:Verse passage – Job 2:11-13, 22:5-6, 9-11 (day four)

Contrast the two meetings that were held on Job’s behalf.  The first was the heavenly meeting between God and satan.  God saw all of the good in the heart of Job.  Regardless of the circumstances in Job’s life, God knew Job would be true and faithful in his worship of God.  The second meeting was the meeting of Job’s friends who came to sympathize with Job.  They, like satan, saw the circumstances surrounding Job and drew their own conclusions to the situation.  They assumed that Job’s suffering was the result of evil in his heart.  They had no clue that the exact opposite was true.  It was Job’s righteousness that landed him in trouble.

What do you see when you look at others?  Do you see circumstances or do you see hearts and faithfulness to God?  Ask God to give you His eyes…ask Him to keep you from jumping to assumptions and to teach you to discern truth and righteousness in people’s hearts.

Terror

Re:Verse passage – Job 2:11-13, 22:5-6, 9-11 (day three)

“Sudden dread terrifies you,
or darkness, so that you cannot see.”

The desire for order runs deep within you. A chaotic universe is a terrifying universe. When you suffer, you might think one of two things: that your suffering results either from some evil you enacted, or from some error in the cosmic workings which God will fix when you voice your complaint to him. Either way proceeds in an orderly, logical fashion. This is the paradigm in which Job’s friends and Job himself seem to operate. But for there simply to be no discernable reason and no remedy on the horizon – this gives rise to alarm. Total darkness and total silence looks and sounds an awful lot like an empty, impersonal universe. Job discovered that very problem long ago. And that’s why we need to explore this book.

Be Quiet

Re:Verse passage – Job 2:11-13, 22:5-6, 9-11 (day two) Then they sat down on the ground with him for seven days and seven nights with no one speaking a word to him, for they saw that his pain was very great. 2:13

A great bulk of the book of Job contains a discourse between Job and his friends. Much space is given to their perspectives, their advice, and their prodding Job to admit fault. While each argument made by his friends can be analyzed, it is the first action they take that should instruct us most. They sat beside him, and they were quiet. Very few of us are called to be counselors, and almost no one will ever experience the complete loss that Job felt. Sometimes presence is the most reassuring thing you can do for a friend. Are you a fixer? Do you feel compelled to help people figure things out? This is a wonderful attribute in almost any situation, except grief. Learning to sit is a balm. Learning to be quiet is one of the greatest gifts you can learn to give.

“Piglet sidled up to Pooh from behind.
“Pooh!” he whispered.
“Yes, Piglet?”
“Nothing,” said Piglet, taking Pooh’s paw. “I just wanted to be sure of you.”― A.A. Milne, The House at Pooh Corner

Re:Verse Blog – 03/21/22

Re:Verse passage – Job 2:11-13, 22:5-6, 9-11 (day one)

Join us as Senior Pastor Chris Johnson, Associate Pastor Aaron Hufty, and Associate Pastor Bryan Richardson walk us through Job 2:11-13, 22:5-6, 9-11 in our Spring Re:Verse Series: “JOB – Through the Storm.”

You Are Not Alone

Re:Verse passage – Job 2:1-10, 3:11, 20-26 (day seven)

Why did I not die at birth,
Come forth from the womb and expire?

When did it become taboo to talk about depression? When did it become “weak” to share your feelings? When did anxiety become something you tough out and get over like a cold? A read through the Bible (especially Job) will provide you ample evidence that mental health is not a new phenomenon.

In recent years it feels like there has been a rise in the amount of people with depression and anxiety. Even before 2020, the number of people with mental health issues was growing… or was it? Maybe the same amount of people have always been struggling, but we finally encouraged them to talk about it. Maybe they were no longer afraid to be labeled as weak. Maybe instead of being told “get over it” they were told “get help.”

Job showed the importance in admitting depression in his journey to restoration. Job showed strength in admitting weakness. Job showed us we are not alone in feeling alone.

If you are struggling with depression and/or anxiety, tell someone today. Tell a pastor, close friend, or someone you can trust. You are not alone.