Today’s message summary of September 17, 2017 from Assistant Pastor Travis Jackson:
Job 7:1-21
Isn’t each person consigned to forced labor on earth?
Are not his days like those of a hired worker?
Like a slave he longs for shade;
like a hired worker he waits for his pay.
So I have been made to inherit months of futility,
and troubled nights have been assigned to me.
When I lie down I think,
“When will I get up?”
But the evening drags on endlessly,
and I toss and turn until dawn.
My flesh is clothed with maggots and encrusted with dirt.
My skin forms scabs and then oozes.
My days pass more swiftly than a weaver’s shuttle;
they come to an end without hope.
Remember that my life is but a breath.
My eye will never again see anything good.
The eye of anyone who looks on me
will no longer see me.
Your eyes will look for me, but I will be gone.
As a cloud fades away and vanishes,
so the one who goes down to Sheol will never rise again.
He will never return to his house;
his hometown will no longer remember him.
Therefore I will not restrain my mouth.
I will speak in the anguish of my spirit;
I will complain in the bitterness of my soul.
Am I the sea or a sea monster,
that you keep me under guard?
When I say, “My bed will comfort me,
and my couch will ease my complaint,”
then you frighten me with dreams,
and terrify me with visions,
so that I prefer strangling—
death rather than life in this body.
I give up! I will not live forever.
Leave me alone, for my days are a breath.
What is a mere human, that you think so highly of him
and pay so much attention to him?
You inspect him every morning,
and put him to the test every moment.
Will you ever look away from me,
or leave me alone long enough to swallow?
If I have sinned, what have I done to you,
Watcher of humanity?
Why have you made me your target,
so that I have become a burden to you?
Why not forgive my sin
and pardon my iniquity?
For soon I will lie down in the grave.
You will eagerly seek me, but I will be gone.
The book of Job is an autobiography of Job’s life. It is a personal account of his life when he faced hardship and adversity. He faced such adversity that none of us would be prepared to face. He lost his seven sons and three daughters and suffered a severe financial crisis. His wife, after these losses, was bitter and angry, as well.
As much as some would like to believe that life here today is prosperous, it is not the best life you can experience. What we experience here today is rooted in a fallen world.
Some day, we may face hardship and difficulty. Finances, marriage, and even the death of a child. That is what Job experienced all at once.
Tragedy can hit someone, and it can strike to the core. It is important to understand that it is OK to feel embittered. Those emotions, however, are not to dictate how we respond or act. Job is the example of this:
Job never cursed God. He was bitter and in great anguish. He had suffered great loss. He felt that he was an innocent man that was suffering for no reason. He was indeed angry with Him, and wanted answers from Him as to what was going on.
Depression and Despair (Job 7:1-16)
When we review these verses, I want to you see and hear Job’s heart.
Job’s suffering had continued throughout those days because of life in a fallen, sin-cursed world. After the fall of man, that is when suffering started. Having to work is the result of being in a fallen world.
Job also notes that he has chronic pain (v. 5). Pain, in itself, is suffering. In addition to his stress, his physical pain attributed to his depression. In Job 2:8, he was scraping the scabs off of himself with a piece of broken pottery. He may have contemplated suicide. He had cursed the day that he was born because he was in such distress.
The emotions here are a lesson for us. How you come through the suffering is important. You are not to respond with bitterness or anger, but look to Jesus Christ for comfort in the midst of your depression. As believers in Jesus Christ, we are to understand that He is the one who guides you through your depression. He does not want you to consider suicide as an option. It is by God’s grace that you can pull through
The Heart of God (Job 1:17-19)
God’s heart is set upon you in spite of how you are feeling. God does not look away from us even though you may want him to do so (as Job did). God allowed Job to face the crises as He knew how he would respond.
It is difficult for us to understand how God allows this type of suffering to take place in our lives. We don’t see the total picture–we only see what is right in front of us. The best way to address this is to look at the person of Christ Jesus.
Hebrews 2:16-18
For it is clear that he does not reach out to help angels, but to help Abraham’s offspring. Therefore, he had to be like his brothers and sisters in every way, so that he could become a merciful and faithful high priest in matters pertaining to God, to make atonement for the sins of the people. For since he himself has suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are tempted.
Christ is the perfect illustration of the One who suffered for no reason. Do not think, for one moment, that Christ did not experience depression.
Luke 22:39-46
He went out and made his way as usual to the Mount of Olives, and the disciples followed him. When he reached the place, he told them, “Pray that you may not fall into temptation.” Then he withdrew from them about a stone’s throw, knelt down, and began to pray, “Father, if you are willing, take this cup away from me—nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done.”
Then an angel from heaven appeared to him, strengthening him. Being in anguish, he prayed more fervently, and his sweat became like drops of blood falling to the ground. When he got up from prayer and came to the disciples, he found them sleeping, exhausted from their grief. “Why are you sleeping?” he asked them. “Get up and pray, so that you won’t fall into temptation.”
This was the most depressing moment in that Christ was asking God not to have to suffer. He was going through a great deal of anxiety as He was facing God’s wrath for our sins, yet He remained obedient to the Father. The act of Christ’s knowledge that He would suffer on the cross was depressing, and yet he prayed over this to the Father.
In addition to prayer, a person who is suffering with depression should share with others. If someone is struggling, be sure to get involved with their life out of concern and care. This is how the church should respond.
Praying Through Depression (Job 7:17-21)
Job wanted God to leave him alone, and God said no. Job also acknowledged that he was depressed, and was prayerful for a glimmer of hope.
When in a state of depression, it takes fervent prayer and meditation to get through the experience. God promises His presence in the midst of your struggles.
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