16th.: Let God Know that We are Suffering
In Job’s third prayer (found in chapter 14), Job describes to God,
man’s predicament on earth.
In particular, Job focused on the shortness of human life.
1) “Man that is born of a woman is of few days, and full of trouble.” (v1).
2) “There is hope of a tree …. But man dies, and wastes away.” (v7a, 10).
3) “So man lies down and rises not.” (v12a).
4) “If a man die, shall he live again?” (v14a).
Job begged God to let him know the reason for the suffering.
Many humans think that unexplained human suffering are the
indirect results of sins against their Maker.
This may be true (in some cases).
But Job could not ‘place his finger’ on what he did wrong.
Thanks to the hindsight of history (and courtesy of Job 1), we know that Job had done no wrong.
Nevertheless, Job had to wait for an answer.
Likewise, sometimes we have to wait (longer than we like) for God to answer.
“Blessed be God … of all comfort, who comforts us in all our tribulation,
that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble,
by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.” (2nd Cor. 1:3-4)