Job 17 – 18

Verse 17:1 shows Job is at the end of his rope:

Job: My spirit has collapsed; my days have been blotted out;
        the grave is prepared for me.

Have you ever been at this point? Have sure have to some extent, obviously not as sunk as Job, but “sucky” all the same. We get there from time to time; mine was a combination of debt, family and employment issues that were all culminating into a perfect storm. I felt it was best I wasn’t around anymore since I had caused the problems. But God took ahold of me and slapped me around a bit to straighten me out.

In my case the biggest key was learning money management, which after 6 years I am just starting to get. It started with the Dave Ramsey Financial Peace program. Although I knew the key to spending less than you make and keep doing it, I drifted big time. Well to make a long story short after 6 years we are slowly digging out of debt and learning to lean on God more.

Verse 17:6 needs a quick comment:

But God has turned me into a swear word for everyone;
        I have become a symbol of human darkness;
        I am the face on whom one spits.

I am not sure if there is a connection, but “job” to many is a swear word, or at least used with many cursing adjectives to describe the “job”. I could not find anything on the origins of how “job” became a word for our daily work, but I often wonder if it’s connected to Job?

Once again Bildad chimes in with his “opinion” on Job’s situation. Verse 18:21 sums up his feelings:

Surely this is the way it goes with all evil people;
        surely this is the lot in life for those who do not know God.

As we know all Job’s friends have no clue to what is really happening in the background. They would rather assume what they believe to be true than actually just help and comfort Job. Isn’t it funny how we often have to inject our opinions when things are bad. I know I do this often with Devon! He will just be venting and I take things personal. This puts me on the defensive and I “buck-up” and defend myself. That starts an argument which often escalates from my pride. Devon just wanted to have a “shoulder to cry on” and not a solution to my assumptions.

We need to take this from Job’s friends that often times it is best just to shut-up and listen than to interject our opinions.