Job 30:1-16: a reflection

1“But now those who are younger than I have me in derision, whose fathers I considered unworthy to put with my sheep dogs. 2Of what use is the strength of their hands to me, men in whom ripe age has perished? 3They are gaunt from lack and famine. They gnaw the dry ground, in the gloom of waste and desolation. 4They pluck salt herbs by the bushes. The roots of the broom tree are their food. 5They are driven out from among men. They cry after them as after a thief, 6so that they live in frightful valleys, and in holes of the earth and of the rocks. 7They bray among the bushes. They are gathered together under the nettles. 8They are children of fools, yes, children of wicked men. They were flogged out of the land. 9“Now I have become their song. Yes, I am a byword to them. 10They abhor me, they stand aloof from me, and don’t hesitate to spit in my face. 11For he has untied his cord, and afflicted me; and they have thrown off restraint before me. 12On my right hand rise the rabble. They thrust aside my feet. They cast their ways of destruction up against me. 13They mar my path. They promote my destruction without anyone’s help. 14As through a wide breach they come. They roll themselves in amid the ruin. 15Terrors have turned on me. They chase my honor as the wind. My welfare has passed away as a cloud. 16“Now my soul is poured out within me. Days of affliction have taken hold of me.

In the depths of his affliction, Job pours out the raw pain of being brought low and scorned, mocked even by those he once counted as nothing, and lays it all honestly before God. Now I have become their song, Job says; yes, I am a byword to them. They abhor me, they stand aloof from me. Now my soul is poured out within me; days of affliction have taken hold of me. Once honored, Job is now mocked and scorned, even by those beneath him; his honor is chased away like the wind, his welfare passed like a cloud; and his soul is poured out within him in affliction. He does not hide this pain or pretend to be composed; he pours it out honestly. This shows bringing the raw pain of humiliation and affliction honestly before God. Bring the raw pain of humiliation and affliction honestly before God. You need not hide or pretend when you are brought low. Job poured out his soul in affliction; you may pour out yours. God does not turn away from the honest pain of the humbled.

Notice how Job speaks in his affliction. He does not put on a composed face or pretend the pain is less than it is. He speaks the raw truth of it: he has become a byword, a song of mockery, scorned and abhorred even by those he once counted as beneath him; his honor is chased away like the wind, his welfare gone like a cloud; his soul is poured out within him, days of affliction gripping him. It is the honest cry of one brought low, humiliated, afflicted, holding nothing back. And this honest pouring out is not held against him; it is the cry of a suffering man before God. This gives us permission for honesty in our own affliction. When we are brought low, humiliated, scorned, when our honor and welfare seem stripped away and our soul is poured out within us, we do not have to hide the pain, put on a composed face, or pretend to be less afflicted than we are. We can do as Job did: pour out the raw truth of our pain honestly before God, holding nothing back, bringing him even the humiliation and the anguish. God does not turn away from such honesty; he receives the honest cry of the humbled and afflicted. We do well, when we are brought low, to bring the raw pain of it honestly before God, pouring out our soul as Job did, rather than hiding or pretending. Bring the raw pain of humiliation and affliction honestly before God. You need not hide or put on a composed face when brought low. Pour out your soul to God, holding nothing back. God receives the honest cry of the humbled and afflicted.

That is worth taking to heart, for we can bring the raw pain of humiliation and affliction honestly before God, pouring out our soul as Job did, and God does not turn away, as Job poured out his affliction. When we are brought low and scorned, we can feel we must hide the pain or pretend composure; but Job poured out the raw truth of his humiliation and anguish before God. Be honest with God. When you are brought low, humiliated, or afflicted, do not hide the pain or pretend; pour out your soul honestly before God, who receives the cry of the humbled. Bring the raw pain of humiliation and affliction honestly before God, pouring out your soul and holding nothing back, as in the depths of his affliction Job poured out the raw pain of being brought low and scorned, mocked even by those he once counted as nothing, saying he had become their song and a byword, that they abhorred him and stood aloof, and that his soul was poured out within him as days of affliction took hold of him; for once honored, Job was now mocked and scorned even by those beneath him, his honor chased away like the wind and his welfare passed like a cloud, his soul poured out in affliction, and he did not hide this pain or pretend to be composed but poured it out honestly, which gives us permission for honesty in our own affliction, since when we are brought low, humiliated, and scorned, when our honor and welfare seem stripped away and our soul is poured out within us, we do not have to hide the pain, put on a composed face, or pretend to be less afflicted than we are, but can do as Job did and pour out the raw truth of our pain honestly before God, holding nothing back and bringing him even the humiliation and anguish, since God does not turn away from such honesty but receives the honest cry of the humbled and afflicted, so that we do well, when we are brought low, to bring the raw pain of it honestly before God, pouring out our soul as Job did rather than hiding or pretending.

Lord, in the depths of his affliction, Job pours out the raw pain of being brought low and scorned, mocked even by those he once counted as nothing, and lays it all honestly before you. Now I have become their song, Job says; yes, I am a byword to them. They abhor me, they stand aloof from me. Now my soul is poured out within me; days of affliction have taken hold of me. Once honored, Job is now mocked and scorned, even by those beneath him; his honor is chased away like the wind, his welfare passed like a cloud; and his soul is poured out within him in affliction. He does not hide this pain or pretend to be composed; he pours it out honestly before you. Show me how Job speaks in his affliction. He does not put on a composed face or pretend the pain is less than it is. He speaks the raw truth of it: he has become a byword, a song of mockery, scorned even by those he once counted beneath him; his honor is chased away like the wind, his welfare gone like a cloud; his soul is poured out within him. It is the honest cry of one brought low, holding nothing back. And this honest pouring out is not held against him. This gives me permission for honesty in my own affliction. When I am brought low, humiliated, scorned, when my honor and welfare seem stripped away and my soul is poured out within me, I do not have to hide the pain, put on a composed face, or pretend to be less afflicted than I am. I can do as Job did: pour out the raw truth of my pain honestly before you, holding nothing back, bringing you even the humiliation and the anguish. You do not turn away from such honesty; you receive the honest cry of the humbled and afflicted. Take that to my heart. When I am brought low, keep me from hiding the pain or pretending composure; help me pour out my soul honestly before you, Lord, holding nothing back, trusting that you receive the honest cry of the humbled and afflicted and do not turn away.