Friday September 19, 2008 LOSING HOPE
"I cannot keep from speaking. I must express my anguish. I must complain in my bitterness. Am I a sea monster that you place a guard on me? If I think, 'My bed will comfort me, and I will try to forget my misery with sleep,' you shatter me with dreams. You terrify me with visions. I would rather die of strangulation than go on and on like this. I hate my life. I do not want to go on living. Oh, leave me alone for these few remaining days. "What are mere mortals, that you should make so much of us? For you examine us every morning and test us every moment. Why won't you leave me alone - even for a moment? Have I sinned? What have I done to you, O watcher of all humanity? Why have you made me your target? Am I a burden to you? Why not just pardon my sin and take away my guilt? For soon I will lie down in the dust and die. When you look for me, I will be gone." Job 7:11-20 Talk about mourning! When Job first lost all he had worked for and even all of his children his attitude was awesome. What happened after that? Reality set in. Job's "friends" began to lecture him on how and why he had gotten himself into hot water with God. They advised him to simply confess his sins and everything would be okay. Ha! If it were that easy wouldn't life be wonderful? Job has heard platitudes and "reasons" for this attack "from God!" In exasperation, he turns to God and just releases all of the feelings and thoughts that have built up since his loss. In this one passage, Job speaks for countless millions of people who are in the valley. One of the first things I do when I get depressed is simply go to bed and try to leave all my problems outside the bedroom door. Unfortunately, like Job, God gives me dreams that remind me of my frustration and pain. There is no escape. It is at this point that I am reminded that I need to talk to God about what is going on. Now, I may not be as blatantly honest as Job, but I come mighty close. Rarely does a week go by that I don't receive a telephone call or an email from someone who hates their life. They have "fought the good fight" to the point of weariness and they are just plain tired. Most of these people are mighty warriors of God. They are people who are on the front lines in this battle for the Kingdom. So, what makes them hate their life? For most people, it is the literal lack of support they receive from friends and family. In the ten-year history of this ministry only one family member has donated money. That person is my Aunt Jo, my biological father's sister. She was the first to donate money to the ministry. If we looked to our friends and family for support - most of us would get discouraged. However, we have to recognize that God is our Provider. He is our only source of hope. Lord, I thank You so much for recording Job's honesty in Your Word. Thank You for showing us through this that it is okay to be honest with You. We thank You for what You did in Job's life and for the promise that brings to us. ******************************************* O. Addison Gethers e-mail address : [EMAIL PROTECTED] or [EMAIL PROTECTED] window live messenger: [EMAIL PROTECTED] aim: durangoadd64 skype: cowboys62 yahoo messenger: OADDISONGETHERS --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Deaf-Blind Inspirational Life Group" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/DBILG?hl=en -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
