“After this Job opened his mouth and cursed the day of his birth. And Job said:
‘Let the day perish on which I was born, and the night that said, ‘A man is conceived.’ Let that day be darkness! May God above not seek it, nor light shine upon it. Let gloom and deep darkness claim it. Let clouds dwell upon it; let the blackness of the day terrify it. That night–let thick darkness seize it! Let it not rejoice among the days of the year; let it not come into the number of the months. Behold, let that night be barren; let no joyful cry enter it. Let those curse it who curse the day, who are ready to rouse up Leviathan. Let the stars of its dawn be dark; let it hope for light, but have none, nor see the eyelids of the morning, because it did not shut the doors of my mother’s womb, nor hide trouble from my eyes.'” (Job 3:1-10, ESV)
These are Job’s first words when he speaks to his friends. Even though Job did not lose his faith in God or turn away from Him, the depth of his pain and agony is evident in his words here. Job has lost everything he has in his life and he feels as though it would have been better if he had never been born.
We need to remember that people who speak out because they are in immense pain (whether it be emotional, physical, or both) have not lost their faith in God just because they speak out in great distress. Let us seek to help those in such pain with true comfort and compassion, seeking to build them up, not tear them down. Be a blessing by bringing the love and compassion of God, not a curse by adding your contempt and fueling the fire of their emotions.
One Comment on “A Lesson from Job’s Pain”
Adam, thanks for your posts! You are a wise fellow! Keep up the great work!!!