Chapter 407 of 1163

JOB 3

Job did not curse God, but he did curse the night of his conception and the day of his birth. The prophet Jeremiah did the same thing one dismal day (Jer. 20:14–18). When you hurt, physically and emotionally, you are prone to lose perspective and forget the joys of the past. Times of suffering can be times of remembering God’s goodness and thanking Him for all you have received from His hand. Ponder Psalm 77.

Job asks the question “Why?” seven times in this monologue (vv. 11, 12, 16, 20, 23). “Why?” is an easy question to ask but a very difficult one to answer. Suppose God had told Job the reasons behind his troubles. Would that have solved his problems? After all, God’s people live on promises, not on explanations.

It is too bad that Job’s three friends listened to Job’s words instead of to his feelings. They decided to tell Job why he was suffering, but they only made his situation worse. Suffering people need love, acceptance, and patient encouragement, not arguments and accusations.

A Spiritual Diet

According to Job 3:24, Job was “feeding” on his grief and could not eat. Some people feed on their tears (Ps. 42:3), and others feed on their sins (Job 20:12–19). How much better to feed on God’s Word (Jer. 15:16; Matt. 4:4), His will (John 4:34), and His faithfulness (Ps. 37:3).

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