16 “And now my soul is poured out [p]within me;
Days of affliction have seized me.
17 “At night it pierces my bones [q]within me,
And my gnawing pains take no rest.
18 “By a great force my garment is distorted;
It binds me about as the collar of my coat.
19 “He has cast me into the mire,
And I have become like dust and ashes.
20 “I cry out to You for help, but You do not answer me;
I stand up, and You turn Your attention against me.
21 “You have [r]become cruel to me;
With the might of Your hand You persecute me.
22 “You lift me up to the wind and cause me to ride;
And You dissolve me in a storm.
23 “For I know that You will bring me to death
And to the house of meeting for all living.24 “Yet does not one in a heap of ruins stretch out his hand,
Or in his disaster therefore cry out for help?
25 “Have I not wept for the [s]one whose life is hard?
Was not my soul grieved for the needy?
26 “When I expected good, then evil came;
When I waited for light, then darkness came.
27 “[t]I am seething within and cannot relax;
Days of affliction confront me.
28 “I go about [u]mourning without comfort;
I stand up in the assembly and cry out for help.
29 “I have become a brother to jackals
And a companion of ostriches.
30 “My skin turns black [v]on me,
And my bones burn with [w]fever.
31 “Therefore my harp [x]is turned to mourning,
And my flute to the sound of those who weep.
Job is in a desperate state, and he wonders why God does not seem to listen. Yet he also reveals something we need to pay attention to. And that is the lack of comfort he feels. He feel abandoned and scorned, even though he himself always tried to comfort those who were going through hard times.
When someone you know is going through a difficult time, it can be tricky to know what to do. Sometimes hurting folks push others away, even though they really want and need comfort. I’ve seen several examples of this lately, and it is easy to misconstrue the actions of someone in pain.
Yet God has put us on this earth to be His hands and feet. Certainly, He can bring peace and solace to a heart that is hurting. But we need to listen to His voice, for most often the comfort and solace comes through us. And if it doesn’t, it may just be that someone isn’t listening. So don’t be afraid of pain, instead look for how God can use you to be the salve for their wounds. It may involve encouragement or it might just mean being present with them. But whatever the case, be willing to bring the comfort and patience that comes from God himself. In short, be Jesus to the hurting.