#DailyDevotion Sometimes You Wish God Would Ignore You
February 11th
Read Job 7:1–21
Job 7:16-21 I loathe my life; I would not live forever. Leave me alone, for my days are a breath. (17) What is man, that you make so much of him, and that you set your heart on him, (18) visit him every morning and test him every moment? (19) How long will you not look away from me, nor leave me alone till I swallow my spit? (20) If I sin, what do I do to you, you watcher of mankind? Why have you made me your mark? Why have I become a burden to you? (21) Why do you not pardon my transgression and take away my iniquity? For now I shall lie in the earth; you will seek me, but I shall not be.”
We know many a person who has suffered much before death and seek it. A mother or father, a husband or wife are suffering to the point of death, yet death escapes them. Indeed we pray for a merciful release. In this section of Job, Job seems to forget what he knows in a later chapter, Job 19:25 “For I know that my Redeemer lives, and at the last he will stand upon the earth. (26) And after my skin has been thus destroyed, yet in my flesh I shall see God, (27) whom I shall see for myself, and my eyes shall behold, and not another.” Job certainly describes to us the oriental thinking on death. We die, go to Sheol and then we fade to black.
That doesn’t trouble Job. He wishes that were so because his present state is so bad. He believes he has gained ire of God and he can’t figure out why. He admits his sin, v. 20, but doesn’t think that he sinned against the Lord so grievously that this has come upon him. Indeed he calls upon the Lord to remember His own character which is merciful, kind and forgiving. Job has bought into the idea that his troubles are his own making. He, like many moderns wonder why an almighty God who takes so much trouble to pay attention to him, who is so little, and mark him for this great trouble. Certainly the Lord has something better to do!
In the midst of all trials, troubles and tribulations it is good to remember the name of the Lord. Exo 34:6 “The LORD passed before him and proclaimed, ‘The LORD, the LORD, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, (7) keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children and the children’s children, to the third and the fourth generation.’” This name is made manifest in the name of Jesus, “The Lord saves.”
In our suffering we must look to Jesus and know in Christ Jesus the Lord is merciful, gracious, slow to angler, abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness. He forgives our sins, transgressions and our iniquities. These sufferings that come upon us though we are faithful are not God getting back at us. Despite their appearance and our sinful flesh’s desire to deny it, our sufferings are the Lord being these things to us. If he left us alone and ignored us and did not bring these things upon us in his divine wisdom he would not be being merciful or gracious. We might sinfully say, “If that’s how he’s going to treat us, I’d rather be ignored.” But he is working something great in you.
Lord God, heavenly Father, help us in our suffering to look past it and to look to your great and marvelous promises that we might be able to stand up underneath them and attain the glory you promised us. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.