Job 14-16

Today's message was a good one. One that I really needed. On days like today when I am feeling a bit defeated, I need to remember Jesus is my advocate! Jesus is the One who never leaves me nor forsakes me!


Job 14


Our lives are short and full of trouble. Sounds rather accurate since we live in a fall world where we are sinful human beings and wrestling against this spiritual war that will be going on until Christ finally comes to save the day. God determines how long we live. He determines what particular trials we face. God sets the limits of our lives. Job is voicing his frustrations he has to God. He is so small, yet God continually watches over him. Job sees it as constant attacks. Job mentions that if he had a second life coming, it'd be a different story as far as his sufferings go. The sufferings of our lives is not all we have. There is another life after this---a glorious life if we know Jesus Christ as our Lord and Saviour and recognize our need for Him! The sufferings we go through on this earth are nothing compared to eternity. Suffering is not all we have. We need to be attentive to how God may be working in our midst. We have more than just suffering even if that's all we see.


Job 14:22: 
"He feels but the pain of his own body and mourns only for himself."


Job 15

His friend called Job's opinions worthless. What we say is never worthless if it is from our experiences that cut us at the core of our being. His friend, Eliphaz, does not address where God's heart is.. He only goes on to say that Job's words show he is guilty of hiding sin. Eliphaz goes on to talk about an evil man, and only he can be this troubled and stuck in suffering. He uses all these important people to seek to define Job's spiritual circumstances. People do not equate to God's truth no matter who they are. Only God can say whether someone is indefinitely hiding sin in their heart and life. He ends by telling Job that people without God have nothing as a way to say Job is without God or stuck in some deep spiritual sin.. Some friend.. 

Yet many of us have friends that try to walk all over us, and over analyze our situations or what we "should" be doing in their eyes..

Why didn't Job have a friend to sit and pray with him, if his friends firmly believed that Job was stuck in sin?

Job 16


Job's friends give him trouble, not comfort. Many friends head down this path, which is many times we must choose our true, genuine friends over acquaintances. We must choose these friends wisely. Job's friends didn't encourage him, or offer him hope. They only brought criticism and trouble. Job says what I would like to say on given day: “Yet if I speak, my pain is not relieved; and if I refrain, it does not go away. (Job 16:6)


Sometimes we need to speak what we are aching to say. One can only put on a mask for so long. Job begins to talk with God about what he is feeling. He is feeling personally attacked by God and he feels defeated. But still...


Job knows there is someone in Heaven speaking on His behalf! Likewise when we feel defeated, we need to remember.. Jesus advocates for us even when we do not have the words to speak and can only cry. Jesus is our advocate!


In Job 16:19-21, Job says:

Even now my witness is in heaven;

my advocate is on high.

20My intercessor is my friend^a

as my eyes pour out tears to God;

21on behalf of a man he pleads with God

as a man pleads for his friend.