Dark Days
“But now they that are younger than I have me in derision, whose fathers
I would have disdained to have set with the dogs of my flock. Yea, whereto might
the strength of their hands profit me, in whom old age was perished? For want
and famine they were solitary; fleeing into the wilderness in former time
desolate and waste. Who cut up mallows by the bushes, and juniper roots for
their meat. They were driven forth from among men, (they cried after them as after
a thief;) To dwell in the clifts of the valleys, in caves of the earth, and in
the rocks. Among the bushes they brayed; under the nettles they were gathered
together. They were children of fools, yea, children of base men: they were
viler than the earth. And now am I their song, yea, I am their byword. They
abhor me, they flee far from me, and spare not to spit in my face. Because he
hath loosed my cord, and afflicted me, they have also let loose the bridle
before me. Upon my right hand rise the youth; they push away my feet, and they
raise up against me the ways of their destruction. They mar my path, they set
forward my calamity, they have no helper. They came upon me as a wide breaking
in of waters: in the desolation they rolled themselves upon me. Terrors are
turned upon me: they pursue my soul as the wind: and my welfare passeth away as
a cloud. And now my soul is poured out upon me; the days of affliction have
taken hold upon me. My bones are pierced in me in the night season: and my
sinews take no rest. By the great force of my disease is my garment changed: it
bindeth me about as the collar of my coat. He hath cast me into the mire, and I
am become like dust and ashes. I cry unto thee, and thou dost not hear me: I
stand up, and thou regardest me not. Thou art become cruel to me: with thy
strong hand thou opposest thyself against me. Thou liftest me up to the wind;
thou causest me to ride upon it, and dissolvest my substance. For I know that
thou wilt bring me to death, and to the house appointed for all living. Howbeit
he will not stretch out his hand to the grave, though they cry in his
destruction. Did not I weep for him that was in trouble? was not my soul
grieved for the poor? When I
looked for good, then evil came unto me: and when I waited for light, there
came darkness. My bowels boiled, and rested not: the days of affliction
prevented me. I went mourning without the sun: I stood up, and I cried in the
congregation. I am a brother to dragons, and a companion to owls. My skin is
black upon me, and my bones are burned with heat. My harp also is turned to
mourning, and my organ into the voice of them that weep.”
(Job 30:1-31)
Today’s
Morsel: If you have been around the church for any length of
time you have heard of the story of Job. Job was a perfect and an upright man
who finds himself in what seems like just a moment of time living his life in
nothing but dark days. Someone has asked, why do bad things happen to good
people? But Jesus lets us know that the only one that is good is God (Mark
10:18). Job was doing pretty good at the onset of his dilemma but then his
friends began to accuse him of sinning. And as Job continues to endure the pain
of loss, sickness, and suffering within himself, he begins to wish for his own
death. He stated, “Why died I not from the womb? why
did I not give up the ghost when I
came out of the belly? Why did the knees prevent me? or why the breasts that I
should suck? For now should I have lain still and been quiet, I should have
slept: then had I been at rest…”(Job
3:11-13) Dark
days and dark times can have that kind of effect on us if we are not careful.
No matter what we are facing, we have a promise from God that He will not leave
us nor forsake us. Sometimes our perfection and faith-building process may
require some dark days. Ask the disciples of Jesus. Or better yet, read the
apostle Paul’s account of his dark days in 2 Corinthians 11:24-30. Maybe you
are going through a dark time right now. Hang in there and God will show you
the light.
Sing: Standing on the rock of ages; safe
from all the storms that rages. I’m rich but not from Satan’s wages, I’m
standing on the solid rock.
Thought For
Today: “Rejoice not
against me, O mine enemy: when I fall, I shall arise; when I sit in darkness, the
LORD shall be a light unto me.” (Micah 7:8)
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