Job's fifth speech

The Book of Job chapter 16

Job says to his friends: what miserable comforters they are. Stop your foolish words, he says. If I were in your place I could spout off with criticism against you and shake my head at you, but that's not what I would do. I would speak in a way that helps, try to take away some of the grief. But as it is, my grief remains no matter how I defend myself and does not help if I refuse to speak.

Job prays to God: you have ground me down and devastated my family. You have reduced me to skin and bones - as proof, they say of my sins. God hates me and tears angrily at my flesh and gnashes his teeth in contempt. A mob gathers against me. God has handed me over to sinners and tossed me into the hands of the wicked. I was living quietly until he broke me apart and set me as his target. His archers pierced me without mercy and the ground is wet with my blood. Here I sit in sackcloth. I have surrendered. Yet I am innocent and my prayer is pure.

Job continues: Oh, earth, do not conceal my blood. Let it cry out on my behalf. My witness is in heaven, my advocate is there on high. My friends scorn me. Oh, that someone would mediate between God and me for soon I will go down that road from which I will never return.

BIBLE NOTES SHOW: Job's words reveal several ways to become a better comforter to those in pain: 1. Don't talk just for the sake of talking. 2. Don't sermonize by giving pat answers. 3. Don't accuse or criticize. 4. Put yourself in the other person's place and 5. Offer help and encouragement.

HOW DOES THIS CHAPTER RELATE TO US TODAY? The best comforters are those who know something about personal suffering.

This chapter shows Job was afraid God had abandoned him. Yet he appealed to God's knowledge of his innocence. By using terms like "advocate" and "witness", Job showed he had cast all his hope for any fair defense upon God in heaven because he would probably die before it happened on earth. Can you not help but have great admiration and respect for this man who has endured so much but still has "hope" in God? Pray that each of us may be granted the fortitude to endure the way Job did. Pray that God will always intercede for us, therefore we have nothing to fear.

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. Update on Robert: he has one more treatment and then three months of waiting for his psat test to come back clean.
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.
Pray for another friend named Carolyn whose faith remains strong, but is lost and confused about where and how to spend her elder years.
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.