OUR TRUE SOURCE OF COMFORT
Bernadette Keene
Today’s Scripture: “When I say, ‘My bed will comfort me, my couch will ease my complaint,’ then you scare me with dreams and terrify me with visions,” Job 7:13-14, ESV
Theme: While there isn’t anything wrong with an occasional nap or rest, God doesn’t call us to hide away, seeking comfort and avoiding work or reality.
A NAP DID NOT HELP
In today’s Scripture, we read that even when Job seeks the comfort of his bed, he cannot find relief. His mind is filled with unrest, and he struggles to sleep. I may be reading this verse wrong, but when I go back and read all of chapter seven in context, keeping in mind all that Job has suffered, it does not appear to me that he is attempting to nap or hide away to avoid work or reality. It sounds more to me like he is wrestling with depression and despair as he tries to gain peace of mind and heart over the tragedies that have brought him so much sorrow.
Contemplate the magnitude of Job’s personal losses in previous chapters: his animals were all stolen, and his farmhands murdered; all his sheep and shepherds were consumed by fire; all his camels were stolen, and his servants were murdered. These disasters are followed by the death his children, and this was only the first set of tests! The second tests, which are attacks on his own health, were not far behind.
WE CAN RELATE
While I have not suffered tragedy of that magnitude, I have had days when the stress of life makes me want to seek the comfort of my bed. Not to avoid work or reality, but in hopes that if I am able to sleep, I can put the problems aside for a moment. It makes me have empathy for Job and others like him.
Jobs first reaction is a testament to his faith in God. In Job 1:20 (NLT), Scripture says that “Job stood up and tore his robe in grief. Then he shaved his head and fell to the ground to worship.” As we read the book of Job (and I highly recommend that you do), we see a man who although broken by grief still chooses to worship God. Even in his moments of doubt and near despair, he holds on to his faith. In the end, the Lord blesses Job for his steadfast faith and restores to Job two-fold what he has lost.
Make It Personal: Have you ever faced challenges in life that caused you to wrestle with your faith? Personal struggles that leave you bewildered and grasping for peace of mind and heart? We have all been there. The important thing is to remember the character of God and that He promises to “causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose” (Romans 8:28, NKJV).
Pray: Lord, help us to remember that You have a good plan for us, even when we may not be able to see it, and especially when we wrestle with the “whys” in life. I pray that even amid the sorrows and the unknowns, we will choose to fall to the ground or raise our hands in worship, knowing that You are still in control of it all. You are the true source of our comfort. Amen
Read: 2 Chronicles 15:7, Romans 8:28, 2 Corinthians 1:3-5
Weekly Memory Verse: “For you say, ‘I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing,’ not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked.” Revelation 3:17, ESV