Praying through Job

I’ve finally mustered enough courage to begin reading through the book of Job.  I started it a couple of weeks ago and got so disgusted with Job’s wife that I had to stop and pray that God would help me to be more supportive than that!  I know that it is easy for wives to sometimes miss the point. I want to reflect God to my husband and others around me, especially through the pain of cancer. “God, Please help me not to be so discouraging as Job’s wife was!”

I know the story of Job and have read it in pieces before.  Now, I will study it in more depth, all of it, and pray that God will reveal himself more fully through this.

I had forgotten how much talking there was here especially from Job’s not-so-helpful friends.  I got in to their sermons and all I could hear was “Blah, blah, blah.”  So, today I am skimming past some of that diatribe and trying to get the whole story in a capsule.  First I’ll focus on the Bible only and maybe later get out a Bible commentary or look for some other book to help answer my questions that arise.

Wow, Job is in so much pain, so miserable.  I read a story about a man who fought cancer and reached a similar period of despair, he’s a survivor.  I watched my mom battle cancer; she was so strong through all that pain.  She fought 11 years before God took away all her pain. “God, please don’t let my husband suffer this level of pain and despair.  You say that you will anoint our heads with oil as our shepherd in the 23^rd Psalm.  Do this for Mark so that he won’t suffer as Job did.”

 I notice that in his despair, Job said, “If only there were someone to mediate between us (speaking of God), someone to bring us together, someone to remove God’s rod from me, so that his terror would frighten me no more.” (Job 9:33-34)  Isn’t that what the Bible promises us that the Holy Spirit will do for us – He intercedes for us in prayer when we don’t have words (I need to find this reference.)  “God, deploy your Holy Spirit to actively intercede for Mark through his trial.”

Finally, I came to “Then the Lord spoke to Job out of the storm.”  FINALLY, the actual words of God! He spoke out of the storm; I love storms.  Interesting how God chose to speak out of a storm.  I will listen more for the whispers and words of the Lord, especially the next time we have a thunderstorm.  “God, help me to listen to you more in every circumstance because I know from our clock story that you can speak very personally in many unique whispers as well as through storms!”  I got chills as I read how God spoke of His own power and character….I’ll have to read this again!