Tag: spiritual help

The Suffering of Job (Job 6:14-30)

On By Tim EhrhardtIn Christian Spirituality Blog, Daily Bible Reading Blog, Year CLeave a comment
The Sufferings of Job, by Silvestro Chiesa (1623-1657)

“Those who withhold kindness from a friend
    forsake the fear of the Almighty.
My companions are treacherous like a torrent bed,
    like swollen streams that pass away,
that run dark with ice,
    turbid with melting snow.
In time of heat they disappear;
    when it is hot, they vanish from their place.
The caravans turn aside from their course;
    they go up into the waste and perish.
The caravans of Tema look;
    the travelers of Sheba hope.
They are disappointed because they were confident;
    they come there and are confounded.
Such you have now become to me;
    you see my calamity and are afraid.
Have I said, ‘Make me a gift’?
    Or, ‘From your wealth offer a bribe for me’?
Or, ‘Save me from an opponent’s hand’?
    Or, ‘Ransom me from the hand of oppressors’?

“Teach me, and I will be silent;
    make me understand how I have gone wrong.
How forceful are honest words!
    But your reproof, what does it reprove?
Do you think that you can reprove words,
    as if the speech of the desperate were wind?
You would even cast lots over the orphan
    and bargain over your friend.

“But now, be pleased to look at me,
    for I will not lie to your face.
Turn, I pray; let no wrong be done.
    Turn now; my vindication is at stake.
Is there any wrong on my tongue?
    Cannot my taste discern calamity? (New Revised Standard Version)

There was a time when faith, hope, and love meant something; a time in which neighbor cared for neighbor, basic human kindness was extended to the stranger, and one’s word was more of a bond than a legal document. At least, that’s what the ancient character of Job felt like. And to be honest, I feel like that, too.

Wherever there is suffering, death, and accusations, there you will find behind it all the character we know as Satan. Evil is very much real. And it exists as much today as it did all those millennia ago when Job experienced Satan’s sinister touch of horrible suffering.

Today, we too often interact with each other much like Job’s supposed friends talked to him in a strictly legalistic way. They believed the world operated in a way where the sign of being under God’s blessing was to be wealthy and healthy. And those who were cursed could expect poverty and sickness.

But the world we live in is not so simplistic as that. Good and godly people suffer; whereas the bad use their riches and power to gain more riches and power for themselves. Satan is alive and well. He lives just down the street, even next door.

Until we can get a hold of that reality, we will be continually flummoxed about the real nature of the Book of Job in the Bible’s Old Testament. And we will fail to discern that not only was Job a profoundly righteous person, but that in all righteousness he contended with God. What’s more, he was eventually vindicated by God.

Some of the greatest suffering a human can endure is not what can be done to the body, but what affects the soul. To experience the silence of God, and the ignorant chattering of friends, is perhaps the hardest of all sufferings to daily contend with.

Job’s companions were more than unhelpful – they were just as harmful as the physical machinations of Satan. And if you can accept it, the companions themselves were mere tools of the evil one. It’s a scary thought, but one we must face.

Although Job was cursed with terrible pain of both body and soul, he never gave a curse back to his companions; and he never chose to curse God and die. You see, Job understood, more than most of us today, that it is diabolical and demonic to return curse for curse.

Nowhere in Holy Scripture will you find that God desires someone who has been struck on the cheek to strike the other back with so much force that they won’t ever do it again. Payback and retaliation may be the way of the world, but it is not the way of God’s everlasting kingdom. And Job knew it.

Job’s friends did not see the reality about his calamity. That’s probably because they just couldn’t admit the truth of it. Their self and spiritual awareness was so small that they stubbornly held to false notions of God, God’s world, and God’s people.

The thing any of us needs from friends and neighbors in a time of crisis is some commitment to helping, not harming. Unfortunately, Job’s friends were of the fair weather type; when the weather’s good, they’re all in; but when the weather’s bad, they emotionally and spiritually distance themselves as far from their friend as they can get.

As a person of integrity, Job never asked his companions to rescue him. He only expected them to stand by him, and not haggle over his worth as a friend. They proved to be false friends who were more harm than help.

The suffering person is in a time of profound disorientation. It’s difficult for them to know which way is up. They don’t need a friend who has all the answers; in fact, someone with all the answers is only annoying. Instead, they need a friend who will come alongside and never forsake them.

In the end, God’s anger didn’t extend to Job but to his so-called friends. Their pride and ignorance was their undoing. What’s more, Job continued to show his integrity by praying for his friends, despite all their emotional harm to him.

You would never find Satan responding in the way of Job.

O God, help me to keep my heart clean and to live so honestly and fearlessly that no outward failure can dishearten me or take away the joy of conscious integrity. Open wide the eyes of my soul that I may see good in all things. Grant me this day some new vision of divine truth; and inspire me with the spirit of joy and gladness. Make me the cup of strength to suffering souls; in the name of the strong Deliverer, our only Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.

Feeling the Pain (Job 23:1-9, 16-17)

On By Tim EhrhardtIn Christian Spirituality Blog, Daily Bible Reading Blog, Year BLeave a comment

Then Job answered:

“Today also my complaint is bitter;
    his hand is heavy despite my groaning.
Oh, that I knew where I might find him,
    that I might come even to his dwelling!
I would lay my case before him
    and fill my mouth with arguments.
I would learn what he would answer me
    and understand what he would say to me.
Would he contend with me in the greatness of his power?
    No, but he would give heed to me.
There the upright could reason with him,
    and I should be acquitted forever by my judge.

“If I go forward, he is not there;
    or backward, I cannot perceive him;
on the left he hides, and I cannot behold him;
    I turn to the right, but I cannot see him….

God has made my heart faint;
    the Almighty has terrified me.
If only I could vanish in darkness,
    and thick darkness would cover my face. (New Revised Standard Version)

Here is Job, sitting on an ash heap, of all things, and feeling like an ash. His children are gone, all killed by tragic circumstances. His wealth is no more. And now he is lamenting, because he can do nothing else; he has painful nasty sores covering his body that won’t let him do anything.

Job and his friends, by Ilya Repin (1844-1930)

And if that isn’t enough, Job’s “friends” come and end up giving him unhelpful speeches about how all this suffering is really his fault. They reasoned (wrongly) that there must be loads of sin in Job’s life for him to be going through such horror. God is punishing him, they insist.

Job’s companions had initially started out well. For seven days they sat with him in silence (Job 2:13). But then, after a week had passed, they just couldn’t take it anymore. They had the compulsion to speak. And when they opened their mouths, it was merely a bunch of ignorant gobbledygook.  

The friends, the companions, were themselves having an existential theological crisis. Their worldview was being challenged and threatened. So, rather than be open-minded and consider that their views may need to be altered, the friends acted like enemies, accusing Job of sin.

At issue was their clear and clean theology of believing that good guys are blessed with wealth, health, and happiness; and bad guys are cursed with poverty, illness, and misery – like Job.

They could not imagine or entertain the thought that God would let a good person suffer like Job was suffering. Therefore, Job must be bad, and they tried to find that hidden sin within him  to which he must repent of.

Yet, in truth, not all suffering – even terrible grinding suffering – is the result of personal sin or bad decision-making. Sometimes, good people suffer horribly, too.

Times may change, but people throughout the ages don’t. Today, we still think along the same lines as the companions of Job. There is far too much blaming of victims for their victimization; and way too many flippant beliefs which say to others in a terrible situation things like, “You reap what you sow.”

Job, through all of the loss, tragedy, and then suffering from his friends, held onto his integrity. Even though Job knew his situation was undeserved, he did not curse God, nor his friends.

Job made the incredible claim that suffering is not always the result of one’s personal sin – something he himself might not have said before his tragic experiences.

But just because Job did not curse, does not mean he was nice and okay with what unfolded in his life. He wished he was never born. He felt like death would be preferable to living. He contended with God, and longed for justice. His ultimate wish was that God would just speak and say something, anything.

Job was hurting so terribly, that he had bitter words of despair for God. He could make absolutely no sense of what was happening. He could not understand why he was the brunt of so much suffering. It felt like God was attacking him, and he said so.

The silence and absence of God were palpable for Job. He longed to speak with God. And his greatest lament – out of all the reasons to lament – was the horrible feeling of being alone without God’s presence and consolation.

It is interesting that we have no mention in the story about Job’s friends speaking directly to God, or praying to God, or addressing God in any way.

They certainly felt free to tell Job who God is, and how God operates in the world. But there was never any intercession for their friend, and no words of crying out to God on behalf of Job. There was only words of rebuke and chastisement, words of hurt that were as painful as the physical sores on his body

The phrase I hear most often from people speaking to the person in grief and pain is, “You just need to be strong.” And a close second is, “Everything happens for a reason.” The latter phrase is simply unhelpful, and the former phrase is actually hurtful.

It is not a sin to be weak. Just in case you read that sentence too quickly, I will say it again: It. Is. Not. A. Sin. To. Be. Weak!

We understand that when someone breaks a bone, they’ll be limited with weakness for a while. And we make helpful accommodations to that effect. But when someone’s heart is broken, and their life emotionally shredded, we expect them to be strong for everyone else around them.

It may be true that everything happens for a reason, yet most of the time, none of us knows the reason why we’re going through what we’re going through. And we probably won’t, this side of heaven.

If we try to have explanations for everything, then we join the company of Job’s companions who had to try and understand what was happening. And their conclusions were very wrong.

However, there is nothing wrong with weeping with those who weep; and expressing pain, grief, and even anger – both for the one who laments, and those who lament with them.

Pain cannot be relieved unless it is acknowledged, affirmed, and addressed by both the one who suffers and the community who surrounds them.

Where there is lament, there are loud words and expressions of grief. When lament is said to God, then God can hold that person, and rock them in the arms of mercy.

But silence is agonizing. We need friends who will listen and grieve with us. It is vital to have companions who voice to God what we cannot voice in our weakness. All of us, together, must hold onto God, and trust that the Lord hears, and will answer.

As Jesus cried out on the cross, I cry out to you in pain, O God my Creator. Do not forsake me. Grant me relief from this suffering and preserve me in peace; through Jesus Christ my Savior, in the power of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

What Are You Searching For? (1 Samuel 9:15-27)

On By Tim EhrhardtIn Christian Spirituality Blog, Daily Bible Reading Blog, Year BLeave a comment

Now the day before Saul came, the Lord had revealed to Samuel: “Tomorrow about this time I will send to you a man from the land of Benjamin, and you shall anoint him to be ruler over my people Israel. He shall save my people from the hand of the Philistines, for I have seen the suffering of my people, because their outcry has come to me.” 

When Samuel saw Saul, the Lord told him, “Here is the man of whom I spoke to you. He it is who shall rule over my people.” Then Saul approached Samuel inside the gate and said, “Tell me, please, where is the house of the seer?” 

Samuel answered Saul, “I am the seer; go up before me to the shrine, for today you shall eat with me, and in the morning I will let you go and will tell you all that is on your mind. As for your donkeys that were lost three days ago, give no further thought to them, for they have been found. And on whom is all Israel’s desire fixed, if not on you and on all your ancestral house?” 

Saul answered, “I am only a Benjaminite, from the least of the tribes of Israel, and my family is the humblest of all the families of the tribe of Benjamin. Why then have you spoken to me in this way?”

Then Samuel took Saul and the young man and brought them into the hall and gave them a place at the head of those who had been invited, of whom there were about thirty. And Samuel said to the cook, “Bring the portion I gave you, the one I asked you to put aside.” The cook took up the upper thigh and set it before Saul. Samuel said, “See, what was reserved is set before you. Eat, for it was kept for you for this appointed time, so that you might eat with the guests.”

So Saul ate with Samuel that day. When they came down from the shrine into the town, a bed was spread for Saul on the roof, and he lay down to sleep. Then at the break of dawn Samuel called to Saul upon the roof, “Get up, so that I may send you on your way.” Saul got up, and both he and Samuel went out into the street.

As they were going down to the outskirts of the town, Samuel said to Saul, “Tell the young man to go on before us, and when he has passed on, stop here yourself for a while, that I may make known to you the word of God.” (New Revised Standard Version)

There are many times in our lives when we are on a quest for something that is lost. Saul was on a mission to find some lost donkeys. But, all along, there was a much larger quest taking place; God was on a quest to find a leader for Israel. Saul was wandering and looking for donkeys; he tried to find the “seer” (Samuel) in order to find the animals. He found, however, that he himself was the object of a bigger search.

I wonder how often we look and seek and turn over every rock in order to find something, only to discover that we had the thing all along. And if we were to look a bit deeper into ourselves, I believe we would find that we already have what we need.

We search for an answer, seek for a person who can lead us where we want to be, or go on a quest to find the something, or that someone, which will satisfy our longing for peace, normalcy, or at least, a smidge of relief. Yet, we just might be on the wrong search.

If spiritual guidance is what we want, then what, precisely, do we need? What exactly is it which requires help? We may end up looking like a jack ass, simply because we are searching for one.

In contrast to Saul’s blind searching, Samuel sits patiently and waits, knowing exactly who he’s watching for.

Even though Samuel, as the mouthpiece of God, had warned the people against asking for king, the people still demanded one. Yet, God was flexible and moved with the will of the people. And Samuel trusted the Lord and moved with God. None of this, however, negated the situation of the people’s misguided stubbornness.

The Lord takes our human decision-making, responsibility, and accountability seriously. So, we too, are to weigh our decisions carefully so that they are consistent with good purposes. And when things go sideways, we are to own up to our decisions and actions (or inactions).

Throughout the story, even though Saul looks impressive, he is continually clueless to everything going on. He isn’t aware that the donkeys have been found. He doesn’t know where to look for the seer, and that the seer is Samuel. He isn’t aware of why he is being invited to a feast. Saul was clueless that he was being chosen for a task.

To be unaware is to be driven by the forces within us which we do not recognize. Yet, conversely, to be aware is to have the conscious power of choices; we can choose one path over another because we have awareness of where those paths lead, as well as what is going on inside of us. In other words, we can make decisions wisely with awareness of self, others, and the world.

Saul had none of this awareness. And as his story unfolds throughout the rest of the book of 1 Samuel, we can observe how much he seems out of control and disconnected from himself, others, and the situations around him.

One of things which inevitably results from a lack of self-awareness, is impatience. The life of Saul, as we shall see, is marked by having ants-in-his-pants; he had a hard time waiting. The introduction we have of Saul in today’s story begins to clue us in on the fact that he actively searches for dumb animals, intimating that he himself may not be the brightest bulb in Israel.

Samuel, however, is self-aware, and thus, patient. He is able to wait, and does not give into any anxiety to do differently. Samuel’s quest for humility, wisdom, and knowledge of God helped him become aware and confident.

Which character do you most relate to, Samuel, or Saul? Why? In what ways might you gain a greater awareness of yourself, others in your life, and your circumstances? How might you develop a better awareness of the divine?

Most of all, what is it that you are truly searching for?

Blessed God, help me to see myself and my life through your unconditional love and acceptance of me so that your love and power can flow in and through me. Help me to remember that nothing can separate me from your love. Amen.

How To Handle the One Who Grieves (Job 37:1-13)

On By Tim EhrhardtIn Christian Spirituality Blog, Daily Bible Reading Blog, Year BLeave a comment
The Wrath of Elihu, by William Blake, 1805

“At this my heart pounds
    and leaps from its place.
Listen! Listen to the roar of his voice,
    to the rumbling that comes from his mouth.
He unleashes his lightning beneath the whole heaven
    and sends it to the ends of the earth.
After that comes the sound of his roar;
    he thunders with his majestic voice.
When his voice resounds,
    he holds nothing back.
God’s voice thunders in marvelous ways;
    he does great things beyond our understanding.
He says to the snow, ‘Fall on the earth,’
    and to the rain shower, ‘Be a mighty downpour.’
So that everyone he has made may know his work,
    he stops all people from their labor.
The animals take cover;
    they remain in their dens.
The tempest comes out from its chamber,
    the cold from the driving winds.
The breath of God produces ice,
    and the broad waters become frozen.
He loads the clouds with moisture;
    he scatters his lightning through them.
At his direction they swirl around
    over the face of the whole earth
    to do whatever he commands them.
He brings the clouds to punish people,
    or to water his earth and show his love.” (New International Version)

Job’s Despair, by William Blake, 1821

On the one hand, the biblical book of Job needs little introduction. Many people know it has to do with a man’s innocent suffering and tenacious faith. Most folks are familiar with how it feels to suffer for no apparent reason. And everyone understands the struggle when life is broken by pain and loss.

Yet, on the other hand, the book of Job defies simple anecdotes about suffering. And the relationship between Job and God has a lot of complexity to it. Add in Job’s friends with their wordy offerings into his situation, and there becomes a fuller picture of the true wrestling of faith and patience that occurs.

Elihu was a young person who was with the three friends of Job. After listening to everyone speak, he himself went on a long speech, stretching six chapters from Job 32-37. He was angry with Job, and with Job’s three friends.

The young Elihu had picked up that Job thought of himself more righteous than God. And he was also upset that the “friends” offered nothing helpful, and could provide no convincing answers to Job – thus making it appear that God was guilty of Job’s intense suffering and grief.

Job, by French painter Léon Bonnat, 1880

In today’s Old Testament lesson, we are getting an end part of Elihu’s speech in which he sought to defend God’s justice through observing the majesty and order of creation.

The testimony of God’s sovereign governance of the world is found in the rain, the thunder, and the lightning; through the winter storms and the frost. The Lord uses the created order to both judge and sustain people. And through the ecological systems we can see that God is at work, regulating it all, and using it for divine purposes, Elihu points out.

What strikes me about Elihu’s words is that he is not wrong, he’s just not very helpful. As a believer, I look at his speech as more of a Captain Obvious moment; yes, he is stating theological reality, but no, he’s not really breaking any new ground or giving any great insight here.

Both Job and Job’s friends had already expressed a theological perspective in kind. Which makes me curious as to why Elihu felt so compelled to even talk at all. I think he would have been better remembered, and maybe even hailed as spiritual beyond his years, if he would have just kept silent.

I realize not everyone is going to go with me on that observation, and that’s fine. Yet it seems to me that a good many people lob too many words toward the suffering among us, when what is actually needed is a compassionate presence that has learned to be comfortable with the uncomfortable.

There are times when words are not needed, when the situation is so incredibly unique and/or difficult that to offer a speech is like yelling in the woods with no one around; it might make the one yelling feel better but that’s about it.

If anyone needed to feel better it wasn’t Elihu. What’s more, a perceived need of defending God’s reputation or honor perhaps betrays a shortsighted theology to begin with. The Lord is quite big enough to handle any rebuffs or misunderstandings from mouthy humans. God isn’t in Junior High School, requiring a mouthpiece to help him out in a scuffle.

I would personally rather give comfort to a hurting person, instead of theological exhortations and speeches about how we ought to talk to, and about, God. That’s because I observe Jesus bringing genuine comfort and help. And I would much rather take my cues for dealing with grieving people from Christ than from Elihu, or anybody else for that matter.

“God blesses those people who grieve. They will find comfort!” (Matthew 5:4, CEV) Jesus said this in his Sermon on the Mount, as a beatitude of all who desire God’s kingdom. Christ understood well the psalmist’s understanding of God’s role and stance concerning people’s grief: “The Lord is close to the brokenhearted; he saves those whose spirits are crushed.” (Psalm 34:18, CEB)

The Apostle Paul, taking a lesson from both his Jewish learning and his encounter with Christ said, “mourn with those who mourn.” (Romans 12:15, NIV) Comfort because of grief and suffering will be built into the end of time. Methinks, then, that this is important…

“Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” (Revelation 21:3-4, NIV)

In whatever way you choose to look at the book of Job, please don’t miss what is to be our response to another’s pain. There is a time for theological education, and there is a time to put a robust theology into practice through a very real comforting presence of another who is in terrible suffering.

God, the strength of the weak and the comfort of those who suffer: Hear my prayers and grant those who suffer in body, mind, or spirit the power of your grace, that affliction may be turned into health, and sorrow into joy. Amen.