+JMJ
Have you ever been so broken that you seriously do not know what to do? Like you have been broken into a million pieces, with no way to figure out how to put them back in the right place. Every time you try to put a piece back, another one falls back out. So, you get frustrated and angry, fall into despair, and stop trying to put them back at all.
It is hard to be in times like these. The devil likes to take full advantage of these times and turn us away from the Lord. But the Lord has given us a powerful example in the Book of Job. An example of patience, perseverance, and trust in the Lord.
The Despair of Job
To a man whose way is hidden, and God hath surrounded him with darkness? Before I eat I sigh: and as overflowing waters, so is my roaring: For the fear which I feared, hath come upon me: and that which I was afraid of, hath befallen me. Have I not dissembled? Have I not kept silence? Have I not been quiet? And indignation is come upon me. -Job 3:23-26
My Contemplation
I sit in a pile of rubble. One stone in my lap, and I have no idea where to put it. I just sit with it and sob.
Jesus walks up pushing a wheelbarrow full of tools. Chisels, trowels, shovels, buckets. They are simple, well used, but solidly made.
He looks down at me in my pitifulness, rolls up His sleeves, squats down, and takes the stone from me. I watch as He carefully clears the area around me, sorting through all the stone pieces. He separates them into piles, but leaves the first stone He took from me in a place on its own.
I watch Him work and He makes short work of my mess. Once He has cleared and sorted everything He carefully mixes the mortar. He meticulously selects a stone from one of the piles and carefully places it. Then another and another. He expertly places each stone, selecting them from different piles as needed.
I just sit and watch Him work. He is incredible to watch. He lays each piece precisely, quietly, and lovingly. If He struggles lifting any of them I would not know, even though several of them looked extremely heavy. A few He chisels and molds to get the correct shape.
In no time He has built an entire House around me. It is perfect. Strong. Secure. Exactly as it should be.
He wipes the sweat from His brow, sits next to me on the floor, takes my hand, and just holds it. He strengthens me with peace and His protection in the work He has done.
So, often I rely on myself to pick up the pieces, which has never worked. You would think I would learn…. The Lord wants to fix my mess. He longs for me to invite Him into my mess. I’ll admit that I wonder why He would ever want to do that, but He does.
He calls me to wait while He works. This does not mean we sit and do absolutely nothing, though I know that is how it may seem in this contemplation. But we need to be aware of where He is working and cooperate with an open heart.
The Book of Job
Have you ever read the Book of Job? It always pulls at my heartstrings. He is a man who was “simple and upright, and fearing God, and avoiding evil.” (Job 1:1) The Lord blessed Him abundantly: many children, sheep, oxen, donkeys, and camels. All of the work he does is blessed by the Lord and he prospers because of it.
Then, the devil waltzes into the picture. He challenges God, saying that Job only serves the Lord because He blesses him. He claims that if the Lord stopped blessing Job, he would stop serving the Lord.
The Lord instructs Satan, “Behold, all that he hath is in thy hand: only put not forth thy hand upon his person.” (Job 1:12)
The devil goes on to bring about the destruction of Job’s whole life on earth. All of Job’s livestock are stolen or consumed by fire. His servants are slain. All his children are killed in a house collapse. His friends charge and accuse him of having committed some sin to warrant what is happening to him.
Satan is then allowed to inflict a horrible ulcer on Job, “from the sole of the foot even to the top of his head.” (Job 2:7)
“My face is swollen with weeping, and my eyelids are dim. These things have I suffered without the iniquity of my hand, when I offered pure prayers to God.” -Job 16:17-18
Poor, poor Job. All the turmoil, abandonment, and torment he received, undeservedly. Left by God in a pile of rubble. Prayers going unanswered. Temptation. Despair.
If you can believe it, it is one of my favorite books in the Bible. Even though it most certainly would be considered a Kill Joy. I find a lot of strength, affirmation, and sometimes commiseration from Job’s plight. If he can endure all he did and still put his trust in God, so can I in my mess.
*Spoiler Alert* It all ends well.
“And the Lord gave Job twice as much as he had before….. and he died an old man, and full of days.” -Job 42:10,16
Passages From The Book of Job
I wanted to share some of my favorite passage from the Book of Job. I hope you will find them helpful in the mess you are in also. I pray they provide some comfort and solace. As well as, strength and fortitude in suffering.
“He is wise in heart, and mighty in strength: who hath resisted Him, and hath had peace?” -Job 9:4
“Thou hast granted me life and mercy, and Thy visitation hath preserved my spirit.” -Job 10:12
“With Him is wisdom and strength, He hath counsel and understanding.” -Job 12:13
“A tree hath hope: if it be cut, it growth green again, and the boughs thereof sprout.” -Job 14:7
“God hath softened my heart, and the Almighty hath troubled me. For I have not perished because of the darkness that hangs over me, neither hath the mist covered my face.” -Job 23:16-17
”He hath delivered his soul from going into destruction, that it may live and see the light. Behold, all these things God workers three times within every one. That He may withdraw their souls from corruption, and enlighten them with the light of the living.” -Job 33:28-30
“Behold, God is great, exceeding our knowledge: the number of His years is inestimable.” -Job 36:26
“I know that Thou canst do all things, and no thought is hid from Thee.” -Job 42:2
We all have difficult times. Times that seem like there is no hope. Times when what you are going through feels unfair. Times when you don’t think you deserve what is happening. Those are the times when it is hardest to turn to God, but also the time when it is imperative that we do.
So, take a page out of the Book of Job. Stay focused on the Lord in despair and joy. In prosperity and poverty. In sickness and in health. In grief and contentment. Because He is in all of it.
Thrive in Jesus, my Friends!
What books or passages from the Bible do you turn to when you are in a mess? Which ones are your favorite?
Leave me a comment and let me know!
New to Ignatian Spirituality? Check out this post to learn more!