Job 10:20–22: “Are not my days few? / Cease! Leave me [Job] alone, that I may take a little comfort, / Before I go to the place from which I shall not return, / To the land of darkness and the shadow of death, / A land as dark as darkness itself, / As the shadow of death, without any order, / Where even the light is like darkness.”

December 5th, 2023 by Pastor Ed in devotional

Job was struggling and saying something like, “Let my last few days be in peace so that I can die quietly.” Although Job speaks of “the shadow of death” being darkness, the Book of Job does not teach “soul” sleep. We read in Job 19:25–26: “For I know that my redeemer lives . . . And after my skin is destroyed, this I know, that in my flesh I shall see God.” Because of his afflictions, he wished he had never been born and would gladly have taken complete oblivion to what he was currently living through. But death wouldn’t do him one bit of good, nor will it help us either when we are struggling and in pain. Have patience, friend, all will be settled perfectly in the end.

What in the world was wrong with these friends of Job? Have you noticed that they never even prayed with him? Not one of them ever stopped to ask God for help for themselves to understand Job’s problem or for Job himself. It is true that the Book of Job is filled with prayers, but they are all the prayers of Job, never his friends. Godly friends pray for you and ask God to give them wisdom to help you. We need to do the same for those we seek to help. It is not a difficult concept to grasp, so why do so few “counselors” actually pray for those who come to them for help? If you are seeking counsel from someone, or someone has come to you for counsel, the very first thing to do is to seek the Lord through simple, heartfelt prayer.

“LORD, give us wisdom and discernment as we seek to help others this day.”

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Job 10 KJV

¹ My soul is weary of my life; I will leave my complaint upon myself; I will speak in the bitterness of my soul.  ² I will say unto God, Do not condemn me; shew me wherefore thou contendest with me. ³ Is it good unto thee that thou shouldest oppress, that thou shouldest despise the work of thine hands, and shine upon the counsel of the wicked?  ⁴ Hast thou eyes of flesh? or seest thou as man seeth? ⁵ Arethy days as the days of man? are thy years as man’s days, ⁶ That thou enquirest after mine iniquity, and searchest after my sin? ⁷ Thou knowest that I am not wicked; and there is none that can deliver out of thine hand. ⁸ Thine hands have made me and fashioned me together round about; yet thou dost destroy me.  ⁹ Remember, I beseech thee, that thou hast made me as the clay; and wilt thou bring me into dust again? ¹⁰ Hast thou not poured me out as milk, and curdled me like cheese? ¹¹ Thou hast clothed me with skin and flesh, and hast fenced me with bones and sinews.  ¹² Thou hast granted me life and favour, and thy visitation hath preserved my spirit. ¹³ And these things hast thou hid in thine heart: I know that this is with thee. ¹⁴ If I sin, then thou markest me, and thou wilt not acquit me from mine iniquity. ¹⁵ If I be wicked, woe unto me; and if I be righteous, yet will I not lift up my head. I am full of confusion; therefore see thou mine affliction; ¹⁶ For it increaseth. Thou huntest me as a fierce lion: and again thou shewest thyself marvellous upon me. ¹⁷Thou renewest thy witnesses against me, and increasest thine indignation upon me; changes and war are against me.  ¹⁸ Wherefore then hast thou brought me forth out of the womb? Oh that I had given up the ghost, and no eye had seen me! ¹⁹ I should have been as though I had not been; I should have been carried from the womb to the grave. ²⁰ Are not my days few? cease then, and let me alone, that I may take comfort a little, ²¹ Before I go whence I shall not return, even to the land of darkness and the shadow of death; ²² A land of darkness, as darkness itself; and of the shadow of death, without any order, and where the light is as darkness.