6-27-14. Job 6:1-30. BECOME STREAMS FILLED WITH LIVING WATER –my devotional

Job 6:1-30                                                                                                                                     Kevin E. Jesmer

Key Verse: 6:24                                                                                                                          6-27-14

 “Teach me, and I will be quiet; show me where I have been wrong.” (NIV)

Dear Lord heavenly Father, thank you for granting us strength to overcome all difficulties in life. Though there are all kinds of modern conveniences and we have freedom and the means to enjoy that freedom, still there are inner struggles that we can hardly bare. But you are there. In you there are so much power to make breakthrough after breakthrough. Thank you for helping me to have emotional and relational breakthroughs lately. I know that more are to come. I trust in you. I surrender my heart to you. Please continue to shepherd my soul. Lord, please grant me one word to hold onto through this passage. I pray in Jesus’ powerful and miracle making name. Amen.

Part 1: One Desire In The Midst Of Anguish (6:1-13)

Verses 6-13, “Then Job replied: 2 “If only my anguish could be weighed and all my misery be placed on the scales! 3 It would surely outweigh the sand of the seas— no wonder my words have been impetuous. 4 The arrows of the Almighty are in me, my spirit drinks in their poison; God’s terrors are marshaled against me. 5 Does a wild donkey bray when it has grass, or an ox bellow when it has fodder? 6 Is tasteless food eaten without salt, or is there flavor in the sap of the mallow? 7 I refuse to touch it; such food makes me ill. 8 “Oh, that I might have my request, that God would grant what I hope for, 9 that God would be willing to crush me, to let loose his hand and cut off my life! 10 Then I would still have this consolation—my joy in unrelenting pain— that I had not denied the words of the Holy One. 11 “What strength do I have, that I should still hope? What prospects, that I should be patient? 12 Do I have the strength of stone? Is my flesh bronze? 13 Do I have any power to help myself, now that success has been driven from me?” (NIV)

Job’s misery was so intense. It outweighs the sand of the sea. Who can withstand what Job is going through? So many people are suffering. Even in our society, where there is great healthcare and lots of physical comforts and conveniences, people still suffer. There are CEO’s who cry themselves to sleep. There are professionals who live in dark dungeons of despair and depression, so much so that they want to end their lives. They could identify with Job who cried out, “If only my anguish could be weighed and all my misery be placed on the scales! 3 It would surely outweigh the sand of the seas…” (1-2a)

Job was misinterpreting why his suffering is occurring. Look at verse 4, “The arrows of the Almighty are in me, my spirit drinks in their poison; God’s terrors are marshaled against me.”  He saw his suffering as God shooting him with arrows and passing out poison and God sending terrors his way. God does not do this. The Bible teaches us that God is love. If we are going through hardships and suffering, we could say that God allowing it to happen, because he wants to discipline us as a father disciplines his own children.

Concerning God’s disciplining their children, Hebrews 12:4-12 read, “4 In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. 5 And have you completely forgotten this word of encouragement that addresses you as a father addresses his son? It says, “My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you, 6 because the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and he chastens everyone he accepts as his son.” 7 Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as his children. For what children are not disciplined by their father? 8 If you are not disciplined—and everyone undergoes discipline—then you are not legitimate, not true sons and daughters at all. 9 Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of spirits and live! 10 They disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, in order that we may share in his holiness. 11 No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it. 12 Therefore, strengthen your feeble arms and weak knees. 13 “Make level paths for your feet,” so that the lame may not be disabled, but rather healed.” (NIV)

I definitely need to interpret all of my sufferings and hardships opportunities to grow and mature as a Christian. They can truly be a blessing viewed properly.

We need to be careful how we counsel people. Job is miserable because of their words. They are implying that his suffering is because of his unrighteousness and sins. They are not saying what sins Job was committing, but they were assuming that since Job is suffering great loss, then he must have sinned. They are telling him to pull himself up by the boot straps and change his life all by himself. Yet, it is obvious that it was all that Job could do to keep alive and hold his head up. Job was helpless. If Job could not change his own situation all by himself, then all he could look forward to more suffering and condemnation.

Job was at his wits end. He knows that he is in a situation where he could sin against God by speaking against God. And so Job begs God to let him die before he denies God’s word. It is his consolation and joy in the midst of unrelenting pain that he has been to not deny the words of the Holy One.  I am really impressed by Job’s sincerity in the midst of his suffering. He does not give up seeking after the Lord.

Part 2: BE PREPARED TO SHARE GOD’S TRUTH (14-30)

Verses 14-30, “14 Anyone who withholds kindness from a friend forsakes the fear of the Almighty. 15 But my brothers are as undependable as intermittent streams, as the streams that overflow 16 when darkened by thawing ice and swollen with melting snow, 17 but that stop flowing in the dry season, and in the heat vanish from their channels. 18 Caravans turn aside from their routes; they go off into the wasteland and perish. 19 The caravans of Tema look for water, the traveling merchants of Sheba look in hope. 20 They are distressed, because they had been confident; they arrive there, only to be disappointed. 21 Now you too have proved to be of no help; you see something dreadful and are afraid. 22 Have I ever said, ‘Give something on my behalf, pay a ransom for me from your wealth, 23 deliver me from the hand of the enemy,  rescue me from the clutches of the ruthless’? 24 “Teach me, and I will be quiet; show me where I have been wrong. 25 How painful are honest words! But what do your arguments prove? 26 Do you mean to correct what I say, and treat my desperate words as wind? 27 You would even cast lots for the fatherless and barter away your friend. 28 “But now be so kind as to look at me.    Would I lie to your face? 29 Relent, do not be unjust; reconsider, for my integrity is at stake. 30 Is there any wickedness on my lips? Can my mouth not discern malice?” (NIV)

Christians need to learn how to properly counsel people, or they are like undependable intermittent streams. They must become like streams filled with living water that overflows to others. In Job 6, Job has reached the end of his rope. His friends thought they were blessing him, by talking about the theological source of his suffering. They were wrong. Eplphaz’ words were troubling Job’s heart to the point where Job erupts in retaliation. They must have been in shock to hear these words from Job’s quivering lips.

He compares his friends to an undependable, intermittent stream that overflows when water is abundant, but dries up in a drought. He learns that he cannot depend on them, for they are never there for him when he really needed them. They were not there when his kids were killed and his ranch was destroyed. They probably never were there when he was doing fine with no struggles. But they finally came in the depth of his suffering and misery. It is good they came, but it would have been better if they came earlier. I need to learn this and be proactive in the ministering to those who suffer.

In verses 6:22-24 Job makes a request. “22 Have I ever said, ‘Give something on my behalf, pay a ransom for me from your wealth, 23 deliver me from the hand of the enemy, rescue me from the clutches of the ruthless’? 24 “Teach me, and I will be quiet; show me where I have been wrong.” (NIV) He wants help. He wants to be ransomed from his suffering and he asking his friends to sacrifice for him. He wants to be delivered from his spiritual enemy who was treating him ruthlessly. He begs to be taught truth. Job didn’t know what the answer is. He is asking for help and his friends were not able to deliver.

In this way, the friends could be considered intermittent streams. They did not know the Gospel truth. This shows me the importance of being prepared to share the Gospel with people. We need to know what we believe and how to help people with the truth. 2 Timothy 2:15, “Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.” We need to be able to share living water with the suffering. Jesus is living water. The gospel is living water. Jesus promised in John 4:13-14 reads, “13 Jesus answered, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, 14 but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” (NIV) If we are prepared Christians, Jesus’ living water will flow in us and out of us to others who are suffering. Instead of being Christians who cannot deliver the Gospel in ways that can minister to suffering souls, we need to be like streams filled with swells of living water. This water is Jesus and it is the only water that will truly help someone.

Prayer: Lord, equip me with the gospel. with living water, with Jesus, and work through me to share Christ with those who are suffering. Help me not to be intermittent stream, but a stream full of living water.

One word: Minister to the suffering with the living water, Jesus Christ.