Slices
Prepare
Pray: ‘Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts’ (Psalm 139:23).
Bible passage
‘Do not mortals have hard service on earth?
Are not their days like those of hired labourers?
2 Like a slave longing for the evening shadows,
or a hired labourer waiting to be paid,
3 so I have been allotted months of futility,
and nights of misery have been assigned to me.
4 When I lie down I think, “How long before I get up?”
The night drags on, and I toss and turn until dawn.
5 My body is clothed with worms and scabs,
my skin is broken and festering.
6 ‘My days are swifter than a weaver’s shuttle,
and they come to an end without hope.
7 Remember, O God, that my life is but a breath;
my eyes will never see happiness again.
8 The eye that now sees me will see me no longer;
you will look for me, but I will be no more.
9 As a cloud vanishes and is gone,
so one who goes down to the grave does not return.
10 He will never come to his house again;
his place will know him no more.
11 ‘Therefore I will not keep silent;
I will speak out in the anguish of my spirit,
I will complain in the bitterness of my soul.
12 Am I the sea, or the monster of the deep,
that you put me under guard?
13 When I think my bed will comfort me
and my couch will ease my complaint,
14 even then you frighten me with dreams
and terrify me with visions,
15 so that I prefer strangling and death,
rather than this body of mine.
16 I despise my life; I would not live for ever.
Let me alone; my days have no meaning.
17 ‘What is mankind that you make so much of them,
that you give them so much attention,
18 that you examine them every morning
and test them every moment?
19 Will you never look away from me,
or let me alone even for an instant?
20 If I have sinned, what have I done to you,
you who see everything we do?
Why have you made me your target?
Have I become a burden to you?
21 Why do you not pardon my offences
and forgive my sins?
For I shall soon lie down in the dust;
you will search for me, but I shall be no more.’
Explore
Does it worry you that your every move may be recorded? CCTV cameras see us in many cities; traffic cameras see our cars. Mobile phones record our movements, and computers our internet activity. This can be helpful, but in some societies such surveillance can be very worrying. Is it a comfort or a threat to think that God is with you everywhere and sees all that you do?
For Job, the thought that God is always watching has become oppressive, as if God is always out to get him. His days are filled with pain, his nights with terrifying dreams (vs 13,14). Job has restrained himself long enough; he now complains directly to God. Why won’t God leave him alone (vs 17–19)? What has he done to deserve such treatment (vs 20,21)? Although Job feels oppressed, God’s presence and intimate knowledge bring comfort to the psalmist: ‘You hem me in behind and before, and you lay your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me’ (Psalm 139:5,6).
I have met people who, facing sickness, bereavement and other troubles, find the presence of God a source of comfort and hope. I have met others who, faced with the same problems, blame God and thereafter ignore him. Job may not find comfort in God’s presence, but he does speak to him, even if his friends find the tone quite shocking.
Respond
Invite the Lord to accompany and lead you today through whatever you face.
Deeper Bible study
‘All people are like grass, and all their faithfulness is like the flowers of the field.’1
The ‘Overview Effect’ is a phenomenon that happens to astronauts when they see the earth from space. Suddenly, the planet that has been their whole world becomes a tiny dot. As their perspective shifts, astronauts are reminded of their insignificance in relation to the magnitude of the cosmos. Job 7 has a very similar outcome, even if the process for Job has been different. Through the suffering he has experienced, Job’s perspective has changed. Like the astronaut seeing the earth from space, Job perceives his insignificance in the grand narrative of God and the world. Thus, in verse 7 he declares, ‘my life is but a breath’.
For many of us, recognising our minute place within the cosmos may lead us to feel diminished. For Job it becomes an inspiration to cry out – since this is the only opportunity he has. In verse 11, he declares that he ‘will not keep silent’. In his complaint and cry for justice, Job raises one of the most profound mysteries about God’s love. If the universe is so big, why is God so interested in humankind (v 17)? His words, although with a more negative sentiment, reflect the famous words in Psalm 8:4: ‘what are mere mortals that you are mindful of them … ?’
Job is wrestling with a fundamental tension within God. God is powerful and other – and at the same time concerned with Job’s individual plight. For Christians, it is a reminder of the wonderful nature of our loving Creator God. We trust in a God who both created the wonder of the universe and at the same time personally loves each one of us as individuals. As is the case for Job, it is often hard to be reminded of this when things are particularly difficult. However, being reminded of it provides us comfort at the hardest times.
Pray for those who are struggling to know God’s personal love in moments of suffering.
1 Isa 40:6, TNIV
Bible in a year
Read the Bible in a year: Ezra 5,6; Psalm 77
Pray for Scripture Union
Each year the south west region partners with Local Mission Partner South West Youth Ministries to give placements to trainees, giving missional experience and opportunities to grow as disciples of Jesus. Give thanks for this year’s trainees. Some will stay on to study for a theology degree, whilst others will move on and new ones will arrive.
