Job 3:23 Why is light given to a man whose way is hid, and whom God hath hedged in? Job 3:24 For my sighing cometh before I eat, and my roarings are poured out like the waters. Job 3:25 For the thing which I greatly feared is come upon me, and that which I was afraid of is come unto me. Job 3:26 I was not in safety, neither had I rest, neither was I quiet; yet trouble came.
Job continued his lament in these verses. He wondered why a person who is in misery continues to live. We know that there are too many today who are in misery, who end their lives. That is not God’s design. Job was hedged in, for sure. He was God’s child and the devil was limited in what he could do to him. Job did not understand this and he assumed that he was destined for trouble and wondered why he could not just die. In verse 24 Job further explained the pain and agony he was facing. His pain was so great that he could not enjoy eating. His appetite was greatly diminished due to his pain. There is no doubt that the devil was causing great pain for Job. It is important to remember that the devil is no one’s friend. He is a liar and a murderer from the beginning. Our bodies can only handle so much pain. Each person has their level of tolerance, when it comes to pain. Eventually we reach our limit. Job was at a place where it was difficult for him to see any good in what he was facing. We cannot point fingers at him and say: ‘I would never respond like Job did’. If we are saved, we need to guard against pride. We need some understanding and compassion for those who face difficulties. Even those who are lost and suffering need our compassion. We need to seek to help them to turn to God in their suffering, but we need to be sure to allow the Lord to lead us in all things. Job spoke of his tears as being “poured out”. This was a difficult situation that he was facing. Verse 25 is a verse that the Charismatics like to use to accuse Job of lacking faith. They claim that he should never have had this fear and if he would not have had it, then he would not be facing the trouble he was in. That line of reasoning is no better than Job’s three friends. It is arrogant and it is evil. It is important to remember just how fragile our bodies are. We are never more than a step from trouble. We hear of people suffering with cancer. We do not live with a dreaded fear of getting cancer, but we understand that we could get it as well. A person can think as positive as they want to, that will not keep them from facing sickness. There are many delusional people who assume they have so much faith that sickness cannot affect them. They like to quote Isaiah 53:5 out of context. Jesus Christ died for our sins. He was wounded for our transgressions. The healing we need is spiritual. The apostle Paul was a man who walked closely with the Lord. He had a thorn in his flesh that the Lord did not remove. He understood he was given that thorn to keep him from becoming proud. Epaphroditus almost died of some sickness. He needed time to recover from whatever he had. God does not promise that those who know the Lord and walk by faith will not ever be sick. There are things we can do to keep our selves healthier, but we cannot live in such a way as to never get sick. We know that Job’s troubles were not due to sin in his life. God was not chastening him. The devil was attacking him to attack God. It is true that Christians do not live under a spirit of fear.
II Timothy 1:7 For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.
Many people are still living under the spirit of fear today. Many people are still masking up even when driving alone in a vehicle. That is an irrational fear. That is a fear brought on by a medical and political system that is corrupt. Too many people have no faith in God and they believe the lie of evolution and thus they have no hope beyond the grave. They are not prepared to die and thus they cannot live. They exist, but they do not enjoy life as God intended. Those who are saved understand that trials will come. They do not live in fear of that, but they understand the need to build their lives on truth to be able to weather the storms of life.
Matthew 7:24 Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: 25 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock.
There is no doubt that Job was struggling with this matter. However, we do not sit on our thrones and judge him. We let God show us how we can prepare for life and be able to be a help to those who face more severe trials than we are currently facing. In verse 26 Job spoke of the recent trials he had already faced. Earlier in his life, things had gone fairly well. He was concerned about his children’s spiritual welfare. He took a keen interest in their lives. Then things started to go south for him. Enemies attacked his possessions. Enemies attacked his family. Now his own health was under attack. In his mind, there was no end to the trouble he was facing. His only hope was death. He did not need to have this attitude, but this is where he was at. As we continue in this book, we will see that there were glimpses of hope in his life. Again, we can learn from the book of Job. We can learn how to build God’s truth into our lives and trust God in all things. It is certainly helpful to have Godly friends who can help us see things from God’s perspective when we are down. We need to understand God’s authority in all things. We need to live in the light of God’s truth. As we walk humbly with God, we will be able to face the trials of life. We do not boast of our humility. If we are truly humble, we will simply trust God in all things. None of us will always do as we should. We need to trust God in all things. Pastor Bartel
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