April 17, 2011 Rebuilding Hope

Rebuilding Hope
Read Job 9-10

Job 9:21 I am innocent, but it makes no difference to me— I despise my life.

WOW. This is tough stuff. Job is at the bottom. He has gone from a satisfied, prosperous life showing a great love and worship for God to a life of bleak depression. He has no hope. He despises himself!
That’s one of the reasons this book is hard to read. We see a man beaten down by life’s circumstances. His family is dead. His property is destroyed. All that has given him value is gone. He looks at what has happened to him and says, “Why me? I’m innocent. I’ve lived a life in fear of God. How could this happen? What’s wrong with you God you would let this happen? What did I do?”
We often ask those questions, wondering why our sovereign God allows hard things in our lives. Where do we find the answers? Where will Job, and where will we find relief?
Let’s look further into today’s reading. Here is good advice about what to do in the darkness:
Job 11:13-18 “If only you would prepare your heart and lift up your hands to him in prayer! 14 Get rid of your sins, and leave all iniquity behind you. raid, 15 Then your face will brighten with innocence. You will be strong and free of fear. 16 You will forget your misery; it will be like water flowing away. 17 Your life will be brighter than the noonday. Even darkness will be as bright as morning. 18 Having hope will give you courage. You will be protected and will rest in safety.
Creator, Redeemer, Restorer, God not only takes away our sins, he removes our darkness. He gives us hope.


Pause and Consider: how life gets better as God gets brighter.