Readings for today: Job 29-32
Today we come to Job’s final appeal. He has come to the end of himself. He has nothing left. Nowhere else to go. No one else to turn to. He has hit rock bottom. He looks back with longing for the days when things were good. When he walked closely with God. When he was respected in the community. When he was able to be generous to others. When he had the energy and the resources to help others. He was sure this was how his days would end. He was sure his future was secure. But then calamity struck. His fortunes took a turn for the worse. His reputation in the community suffered a mortal blow. Now the very same people who used to love and respect him, mock him. The very same people he helped and served along the way now rise up against him. His life has been poured out. His energy and resources utterly depleted. His expectations of a long and fruitful life dashed. He’s tried crying out to God but to no avail. There seems to be no answer. Heaven is closed. He is alone. The walls have closed in all around him. There is no one to give him any comfort or any relief.
Have you ever hit rock bottom? Have you ever found yourself in a place where you feel like the walls are closing in? No one is left to help you? No one is left to comfort you? Not even God? In the summer of 2009 and into the fall, I found myself in such a place. The ministry I was leading had imploded, costing me several relationships. It was the most painful experience of my life. Members of my board threatened me. Those I considered friends abandoned me. My relationships at home with my wife and children were strained at best. I was not handling it well. I made so many mistakes during that time. I tried as hard as I could to redeem the situation in my own strength. But the harder I tried, the worse things got. I too cried out to God but to no avail. There seemingly was no answer. Heaven felt closed to me. My prayers bounced off the ceiling. Finally, after months of spending hours in prayer in the night, long after my family had gone to bed, I broke down. I wept. I told God I had nothing left. I finally surrendered. And I discovered God had been there all along. I just couldn’t sense Him in my pain and brokenness and sin.
“The words of Job are concluded.” (Job 31:40) This is a good thing. It’s always good to exhaust our words so we can begin listening for God’s Word. It’s always good to shut our mouths so we can open our ears. It’s always good to come to the end of ourselves so we can find a new beginning with God. Over the course of my life, I have found God does His best work in the empty spaces of my life when I have nothing left to give. So make your final appeal. Cry out to God with all you’ve got. Exhaust yourself and your energy and your resources assailing the heavens. Know that God is with you even as you do and when you are finished, He will speak. He will comfort. He will guide.
Readings for tomorrow: Job 33-36