LOST IT ALL— BUT NOT GOD!
LOST IT ALL— BUT NOT GOD!
Behold, I cry out, ‘Violence!’but I am not answered; I call for help, but there is no justice. He has walled up my way, so that I cannot pass, and he has set darkness upon my paths. He has stripped from me my glory and taken the crown from my head. He breaks me down on every side, and I am gone, and my hope has he pulled up like a tree. He has kindled his wrath against me and counts me as his adversary. His troops come on together; they have cast up their siege ramp against me and encamp around my tent. “He has put my brothers far from me, and those who knew me are wholly estranged from me. My relatives have failed me, my close friends have forgotten me. The guests in my house and my maidservants count me as a stranger; I have become a foreigner in their eyes. I call to my servant, but he gives me no answer; I must plead with him with my mouth for mercy. My breath is strange to my wife, and I am a stench to the children of my own mother. Even young children despise me; when I rise they talk against me. All my intimate friends abhor me, and those whom I loved have turned against me. My bones stick to my skin and to my flesh, and I have escaped by the skin of my teeth. Have mercy on me, have mercy on me, O you my friends, for the hand of God has touched me! …For I know that my Redeemer lives, and at the last he will stand upon the earth. And after my skin has been thus destroyed, yet in my flesh I shall see God. —Job 19:7-21, 25-26
Job has so many emotions going on at this point in his life. He cries out and calls for help, but he hears no answer. He believes it is God who has “walled up his way… and set darkness upon” his paths. That He is breaking him in His wrath, pulling him up like an adversary. When all was well in his life those who knew him wanted to be in relationship with him, but now that he has lost everything these same people don’t want anything to do with him. They are leaving him alone in his misery.
His brothers are far from him; his relatives have failed him; his close friends have forgotten him; guests in his house and his maidservants count him as a stranger, a foreigner; his servant won’t even respond to him; he is strange to his wife; his siblings see him as a stench; young children despise him, talk against him; his intimate friends abhor him; those he loved turned against him.
Tell me, what is your problem? Everyone is against Job. He even believes God is against Him. Through all this Job still says, “For I know that my Redeemer lives, and at the last he will stand upon the earth. And after my skin has been thus destroyed, yet in my flesh I shall see God.”
Beware that you and I do not confuse satanic/demonic attacks as being attacks from God. True, God is Sovereign over all as we saw in the first chapter of Job. He is working out His plans and purposes even through Satan’s destructive ploys. His time is short and God has His purposes even now for allowing the Devil to exist. But that time will be coming to an end once and for all! Until then, let us continue to keep our “eyes fixed on Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith” (Hebrews 12:1-2). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bfveawSAHJA
Yes, dear Father may I keep my eyes on the prize— forever with Jesus in glory. I know that is not too far in the future. Until then please help me to serve You faithfully in the power of Your Holy Spirit and in the authority of Jesus. So be it!