“Have mercy on me, my friends, have mercy, for the hand of God has struck me. Must you also persecute me, like God does? Haven’t you chewed me up enough?

“Oh, that my words could be recorded. Oh, that they could be inscribed on a monument, carved with an iron chisel and filled with lead, engraved forever in the rock.

“But as for me, I know that my Redeemer lives, and he will stand upon the earth at last. And after my body has decayed, yet in my body I will see God! I will see him for myself. Yes, I will see him with my own eyes. I am overwhelmed at the thought!

Job 19:21-27

Dear God, these verses make me think of a few things.

1. Sometimes friends don’t give good counsel because they don’t understand. And sometimes I am that friend that gives bad advice because I don’t understand. We mean well. Job’s friends meant well. But we are just wrong. So counsel should always be given gently.
2. Job’s words were better than chiseled in stone. Here I am thousands of years later praying over and through them.
3. Job realizes and acknowledges how small his life is in the grand scheme of things and that one day it will be over.
4. He proclaims his faith in what he believes. You live. You reign. You will always reign. And just the thought of it overwhelms him.

Father, make me mindful about how how small my life is and how big you are. You are my God. You are THE God. These daily struggles are in front of me and they make me better. Some days are easier than others. But I know that you use all of them to transform me into the man you are making me to be.

In Jesus’ name I pray,

Amen