Job 19:1-2 Then Job replied: “How long will you torment me and crush me with words?”
Job, clearly, is in agony, physically and spiritually. He seems the epitome of a tortured soul. And I find myself, repeatedly, wondering why these chapters of agony go on for so long. Not to be cruel, but we definitely grasp the level of his misery on every front, so why is it still being drawn out?
Job 19:25 “I know that my Redeemer lives, and that in the end He will stand on the earth.”
For me, verses 25 and 27 provide an answer: No matter the agony, no matter the loss, no matter the misery, Job knows without a doubt that his Redeemer lives, that He is real, sovereign, and loving, even though Job’s circumstances are utterly miserable. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego come to mind as I type: “If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from it, and He will deliver us from Your Majesty’s hand. But even if He does not….” (Daniel 3:17-18). Even if He does not…. This space of belief and perhaps acceptance, it seems to me, is where Job finds himself in chapter 19.
Job 19:27a “I myself will see Him with my own eyes—I, and not another….”
Lord, Thank You for this day and this chapter. Thank You for the wisdom and understanding You grant me as I read and try to understand Your word. Thank You for the faith and confidence to say, even when we don’t understand, that You are loving and merciful and we will praise You. Always. Give us the strength to trust and praise, even when it’s difficult. Draw us closer. Amen.
Job 19:27b “…How my heart yearns within me!”
Have a blessed day.