When I was a freshman in college I experienced a loneliness that I had never experienced before in my life. About two months into my first semester I found myself surrounded by lots of people but feeling incredibly alone. Don't misunderstand me: I knew A LOT of people. Being the extrovert that I am, I knew a least a couple hundred people on campus by that time. The problem was that none of my relationships had then developed in depth. That feeling of loneliness in the midst of so many people was a hard feeling to deal with. I think Job faced a similar feeling when everyone around him began challenging him and confronting him. Nobody took the time to see what agony he was in. Instead, they offered their unsolicited advice and criticism.
I wonder how many people come to our church and feel lonely at times… even in the presence of others. Do we care for them? Do we show them a level of love that they don't receive anywhere else? Do we have eyes for those people who need to connect with others? If not, then we have done no better than Job's friends. Too often our words to people fail to be the healing balm that was needed by Job in this situation; hopefully we can do differently than they.
Seth, Thanks for the inspiring message on Sunday and for introducing this study. I like the added accountability of the blog site.
My Bible footnotes for Job 17 are interesting: “…We can think of our lives as slender candles. (I immediately thought of Jesus’ words in Matt. 5:14: “You are the light of the world.”) Once the wick has been consumed there is no more time remaining. Those who have spent their lives with no regard for God and eternity are making a bed of darkness for themselves. This is also true for those who are obsessed with making money and spending it on themselves. What kind of hope is that? Rather than trivialize our lives, let’s concern ourselves with eternal matters.”
Seth has made a great point here. How many folks in our daily lives not only at church but at work, school, and neighbors we know are feeling lonely. I personally relate well with Job. Those around him believe it is just whining and he has some real hurt going on. By these chapeters we can see that Job’s friends can not or unwilling to try to see where Job is in life. My dad call it see how the shoes of some one else fits. Until we have walked through a simular path or journey we will never fully understand what some people go though. This does not mean we can not take the time to think of their perspective.
Pastor Seth, thank you so much for getting a lot of us involved in this wonderful study through God’s word. I found that I have been lonely at times in my life, also. I have been lonely among friends, too. It’s hard to express our awkward and often unique situations to others around us even though they might be very close or intimate with us. We must remember that there isn’t any understanding like the understanding of God. He is our only real refuge. Job was in a unique circumstance that we all hope to never be involved. God was the only refuge he had. No matter how much he complains, he seems to always come back to the fact that God is his only hope! In conclusion, God through Jesus is truly our only hope. We can’t rely on others or ourselves with all our failures.