Job curses the day he was born

The Book of Job Chapter 3

Job's three friends have come from a long way off to demonstrate their grief with him.

This is Job's first speech and he says: Cursed be the day of my birth and the night I was conceived and let it be turned to darkness. Let that day be lost to the Lord. Let that night be blotted off the calendar, never again to be counted among the days of the year, or months of the year. Let that night be barren and have no joy. Let those that curse, rouse the sea monster with cursing that day. Curse that day for its failure to shut my mother's womb, for letting me be born to all this trouble . . .

Why, he asks, didn't I die at birth? Why did my mother let me live? He says, if I had died at birth, I would be at peace now and rest with the world's kings and famous. In death the wicked cease from troubling, and the weary are at rest. Even prisoners are at ease with death and the rich and poor and the slave free from his master.

Why, Job asks, should light be given to the weary and life to those in misery? They search for death more eager than for hidden treasure. It is a blessed relief when they finally die. Why give life to those with no future, destined by God to live in distress? What I feared and dreaded has come to be. I have no peace, no quietness. I have no rest, instead, only trouble comes.

BIBLE NOTES SHOW: Job's response to physical affliction contrasts with his attitude after the first test. He still does not curse God, but curses the day he was born. In his speech, he shows his struggle emotionally, physically, and spiritually. His misery is deep. In the time of Job, there were people who were hired to pronounce curses. He desired experts who could call up the sea monster Leviathan, to swallow up the day of his birth.

Job is driven back to the basics of his faith: he can curse God and give up or he can trust God and draw strength from him to continue. All the principles by which he had lived were crumbling causing him to lose perspective.

HOW DOES THIS CHAPTER RELATE TO US TODAY? Job is sitting there with his friends and "venting". I am sure we are all guilty of "venting". But though Job did not worship material things, he complained that bad things happened to him in spite of his right living. The worth and meaning of life is based on the reality that no one can take away God's love for us! We cannot assume that because God loves us that he will always prevent suffering. God's love cannot be measured or limited by how great or how little we may suffer. Romans 8:38,39 teaches us that nothing can separate us from God's love. At this moment in time, Job cannot see God's grace, but it is there. Still Job does not blame God for his suffering. Open your eyes and see that God loved Job and he loves you. Praise his Holy Name!

Yours in Christ,
Mary

Prayer Requests are needed for:
HEALTH:
Update on my niece Suzanne, she is healing but her leg was crushed and will take many months of doctoring. She is in a nursing home for rehab care. Pray for her healing. Also Gabe, Wanda, Pray for Janice Long’s parents, especially her mother who faces another round of chemotherapy and her father with Alzheimer’s and now her mother in law also with Alzheimer’s. Their family is feeling the strain both emotionally and financially. Pray for them. Update on this family: Her mother-in-law is being taken to Oklahoma to live with an aunt who will care for her.
Pray for Arlene’s nephew David and for my neighbor Al who is nearing the end of his life.
Pray for Carolyn’s brother Ronald who has cancer.
Pray for our friend Michelle who was diagnosed with MS.
Pray for Cyndi Sullivan who made it six years with cancer but may now go home with hospice in her final days.
Pray for my cousin Diane who had total mastectomy surgery for breast cancer.
UPDATE on Barb who went in for back surgery and had a heart attack and stroke, she has her speech back and is home , but continues to have a problem with one arm and hand. Thanks to your prayers, she is able to hobble without a cane and has been granted disability. She still has surgery scheduled on her hand, but I saw her recently and her attitude is fantastic.
Pray for Robert Sargent who is quite ill with lung cancer.
Pray for Judy’s husband who was recently diagnosed with prostate cancer. Pray for her too, that she can deal with the side effects of his illness.
Pray too for Charly’s husband Robert who is undergoing chemo for his prostate cancer.
Pray for John’s recovery from a heart attack and for the doctors who have difficulty diagnosing his other symptoms.
Pray for James’s sister Cynthia whose chemo has lost its effect as the cancer grows powerful.
SPIRITUAL UPLIFTING: Gail, Mary
RESTORATION OF FAITH: Al, John
LOVE AND SUPPORT: Claire, Hunter, Brian
SUPPORT: Haiti, Chile, survivors of Japan’s earthquake, survivors of the devastating tornadoes in our southernmost states and Joplin, Missouri. Pray too, for our country’s leaders and our military people who die each day for our freedom.