Prepare my heart
to receive your word, Lord. My intellect is clear, and my heart is warm. Help
ease my fears about your loving intentions for me today, and speak into my
life.
Along with Psalm
139, Job 10 is a fascinating read. What the writers say about the God who 'knit
[them] together in their mothers' wombs - that he is all-mighty, all-knowing,
and present everywhere – is strikingly similar, but their responses are vastly
different. Job, in his misery, pours out harsh complaints while the psalmist is
full of awe.
'You hem me in,
behind and before, and lay your hand upon me,' the psalmist says (verse 5).
God's Spirit and presence are with him wherever he goes (verse 7), and God's
hand appears soft – it leads and holds him (verse 10). Job, on the other hand,
feels pursued, envisioning God as a lion pursuing him (verses 16–17). God
appears to be watching him, not to protect him, but to gather evidence against
him (verse 14).
'Search me, O
God, and know my heart!' the psalmist exhorts. 'Are not my days few?' Job cries
out in verse 23a. 'Then stop and leave me alone...' (20th verse) Job
anticipates oblivion in "the land of gloom like thick darkness"
(verse 22), but the psalmist observes that "even the darkness is not dark
to you" (verse 12).
A previously
reassuring truth about God can sound hollow in the face of pain. When you're in
agony, hearing that God has a plan for your life that will unfold according to
his timing can seem like a meaningless platitude. You may begin to doubt God's
love and goodness, just as Job did. Maybe Satan shifted in his seat, certain
that Job was about to curse God...
When Satan tries
to deceive us about God by twisting the truth, the best thing we can do is
follow Job's example. Yes, he expresses his dissatisfaction, but he also makes a
direct appeal to God, the ultimate source of truth. We may do the same, knowing
that his son was sent to save, not to condemn.
Thank you, God,
for allowing me to communicate with you, even when my soul is bitter. Thank you
for listening to my prayers, even when I am hurting and perplexed. Protect me
from Satan's deceptions and pull me to you, Lord, as the one source of
consolation and truth.