Then Job replied, "I have heard many things like these; miserable comforters are you all! Will your long-winded speeches never end? What ails you that you keep on arguing? I also could speak like you, if you were in my place; I could make fine speeches against you and shake my head at you. But my mouth would encourage you; comfort from my lips would bring you relief.

Job is speaking to his friends. These friends are not giving comfort. They are not listening. They are not reminding him that God will walk with him through this valley. They are telling him not to be angry. I often wonder: would they be angry? Do I do this at times? Instead of hearing the pain of a fellow Christian, do I try to put salve on a wound I have no idea where it is? When we fall and skin our knees, putting a band aid on our elbow will not help.

Job tells them, “You are not helping; try again.” He needs help. He is crying for help. Job is searching for someone to tell him that God is still there. That reminds me how lucky I am. I have Christ; I have my older brother, God’’s Son, to take me up to the throne. Do you realize how lucky you are? Just count your blessings and you will see. Start with the intangible things like God’’s love, His Son, the Bible to read, your spouse, your children, your Christian family and then keep going.

Go on then to count the food you eat in plenty, the roof over your head, the shoes in a rainbow of colors in your closet, the clothes that takes hours to wash and iron, the soft pillow to rest your head at night....

...see how rich you are?

“Vindicate me, O God, and plead my cause against an ungodly nation; rescue me from deceitful and wicked men. You are God my stronghold. Why have You rejected me? Why must I go about mourning, oppressed by the enemy? Send forth Your light and Your truth, let them guide me; let them bring me to Your holy mountain, to the place where You dwell. Then will I go to the altar of God, to God, my joy and my delight. I will praise You with the harp, O God, my God. Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise Him, my Savior and my God.”

Clear my name, Lord. Plead my case against this ungodly world in which I live. Liberate me from the wickedness that surrounds me. Lord, help me to realize You are my God and that You want to be my stronghold. Help me to understand that You have not rejected me, that You have not forgotten me and that You remain true to Your word. Lord, help me to realize Your timing is perfect. Help me to reach out for Your light and Your truth, so they might guide me to Your Holy throne. At Your feet, Lord, I will praise You with delight and joy; I will sing Hallelujahs to Your name.

My soul will rejoice with great joy and not be downcast or afraid. If I put all my trust in my Father, then He will guide me through and see me to the end, even through wilderness and desert.

Please, Lord give to me an answer when I call out to you.
Give to me some respite from all this misery; be compassionate to me and hear my prayer.

How long will my neighbors turn to the world and not to God?
How long will they love the falseness of sin and seek those gods?

We need to remember that the Lord sets apart those who strive to follow him.
The Lord will hear when I call out to Him.

Do not sin when you are angry; hold yourself to God’’s law; search your mind before you speak.
Trust in the Lord and give to him with joy.
Trust Him in all you do.
Often, we hear people wonder what this world is coming to.

Let the light of your face shine upon us, dear Father.
You have filled my heart with an abundance of joy, more than any earthly thing could give me.
I lie down in peace at night and sleep, O Lord; because of you, I am in a safe dwelling.

I know that you can do all things; no plan of yours can be thwarted. You asked, “Who is this that obscures my counsel without knowledge?” Surely I spoke of things I did not understand, things too wonderful for me to know.

How often do I question God? How often have I said why? How often have I told you, you can not possibly know this is going on? If you did, you would not let it happen.

Then I think about how you formed the world. How you placed the stars in the sky. How you created me just like you needed and wanted me to be. Then can I really question your motives or your plans?

Yes, and that is OK, as long as I remember that you love me and that, as long as you are with me, I can get through anything.

You are the potter and I am the clay. You mold me in the way you want me to be. You place me in service so that I can be of use to you. You do not place me in service to be of use for me.

Please, Lord, help me to be what you want me to be. Help me to be in your service.