I don’t think there is any other book in the entire bible quite like Job. It is sad from the moment you begin reading the first chapter. How many of us think about the fact that Satan is bartering with God about any of us? Job’s wife, his supposed best friends are all trying to get him to respond to their human wisdom. I know how the book ends but I’m only a quarter of the way through it and I want to punch his friends! One of my darkest times in life was my divorce. I thought I’d done everything humanly possible to live a life for God, be a good dad to my kids and try to be a good husband. Yet, I was told I wasn’t loved and I was going to be divorced. This was bad enough, but I had several close friends and acquaintances who did just what Job’s friends did–accuse him of needing to straighten out my life. It was obvious Job had done something wrong or God wouldn’t be punishing him as he was. I needed to confess my wrongs just like Job’s friends were trying to get him to do. I knew in my own mind that I was being punished for even thinking I should ever marry. A person with my background should never think he is worthy of someone’s love. My kids should be taken away from me so I wouldn’t end up hurting them as I was hurt. I couldn’t say any of this out loud. It would only add fuel to the judgments I was already receiving.

There were a few very kind people however that gave me a glimmer of hope. One older lady in our church told me that God must love me a great deal in order to allow me to experience such hurt. I clung to this even though I couldn’t find any substance for her statement. All of these years later I have learned so much about living life. Jesus tells us to not judge one another. He does so for very good reason. We can support one another and let Christ be the Judge.