Job continued to speak of the nature of those who despised him now that he was facing these troubles. They would talk about him, but it was nothing good. It is sad when people have the time to talk bad about someone, but they have no time to try to help that person. When a person who once seemed to be such a strong person suddenly faces hard times, they need help. That is not a time to abandon them. That is a time to come alongside and see what you can do to help them. However, if you never learned how to be responsible, then you will not know how to be responsible when someone you know is in trouble.
Job’s three friends show us that most people have nothing worthwhile to offer the saint who is down. They have a philosophy but it is not built upon truth. They may even reference God but they distort Who He is.
In verse 11 Job again spoke of the belief that God had forsaken or withdrawn Himself from him. Job stated that these other people had also turned their backs on him. Job would soon understand that God had not withdrawn Himself from him. Patience is important at all times. God is much wiser than we are and while others may turn their backs on us, God never withdraws from His children.
Job was being treated as an outcast by those who he had sought to help earlier in his life. Now that he needed help, they were not there to help.
It is important to have a close and intimate relationship with the Lord. The apostle Paul understood this. He was forsaken by many as well when he was imprisoned for preaching the Gospel. He had a few faithful friends left, and he knew that God had not forsaken him.
We are living in a time now when increased trouble could well come upon those who seek to serve God faithfully. We will see how many are ashamed of the Lord when trouble increases. When difficult times come, the truth comes out as to where a person truly is with the Lord. We have witnessed some of this over the past three years.
From verses 15-31 Job continued to speak of how his current situation was affecting his mind and his soul. Job was in a very unstable situation. He did not need to be there but he was convinced that God was not being fair with him. The good news was that Job was not willing to abandon God. He tried to find a way to get His attention. The Bible teaches us that we do not need to find some way to get God’s attention. He knows all things. The lost person can call upon the Lord for salvation at any time. The saved person can call upon the Lord for forgiveness and cleansing at any time. He or she can also draw nigh to God in fellowship at all times.
Job did not have the privilege of reading the Psalms. Oftentimes the Psalmist would begin by crying to God about some concern he had. By the time the psalm would end, he would have seen that God was always there for His child. God is never far from His child.
In verse 26 Job stated that even when he looked for good, then evil came upon him. Job could not find comfort anywhere at this time. We can learn from this how important it is to have that human element of fellowship. Those who withdraw themselves from a good church are hurting themselves more than anyone else. God created man to be a social being.
In Genesis 2:18 God stated that it is not good for man to be alone. God provided a human being that could be a help meet for Adam. A person does not need a fist full of friends. He or she just needs a few true friends. God created Eve for Adam. Then he would bless them with children.
Job’s wife had abandoned him in his troubles. She encouraged him to sin against God, rather than encouraging him to draw closer to God. Job was wise enough to reject her bad counsel. His three friends were no help to him. He needed someone who could be a comfort and an encouragement to him.
God has provided a place of comfort and encouragement for us. Those that are saved and married have their spouse to encourage them. God also provides comfort and encouragement through a good local church. There could come a time prior to the rapture, that we will not be as free as we are now. We know that our governments are working hard to make that a reality. Our governments do not want anyone to think differently than they dictate. Many are either giving in to the pressure, or they are just becoming very quiet because they are afraid of retaliation from the ungodly governments.
True Christians serve the true and living God. We find hope and comfort through His Word and through the fellowship of the saints. In difficult times, it is good to draw closer to one another as we draw closer to God. We find that the first century saints wanted to be together. When Peter was imprisoned, awaiting death at the hands of king Herod, the saints gathered together for prayer. Peter was by himself in prison, among other ungodly people, but the saints were together, praying for him. There was great joy when they finally realized that Peter had been released from prison by God. The prayers and encouragement of the saints was powerful. Herod and the Judaizers did not know what to do with this situation. They had no recourse. God soon took king Herod out of the way. God worked mightily and His Word went forth in power because His people were following His way.
Let me encourage each one reading this to get ready to go to a good church today. If you have not been attending a church, find a good one. You need the truth, not the hype. If we can be of any help, let us know. We pray for our outreach efforts. We know that God has given us an avenue of service for Him through our internet and our SermonAudio link. We thank Him for this opportunity to be a blessing to others.
As His children draw nigh to Him, He will guide them into the right place of fellowship where He wants them to be. God is good.
Pastor Bartel