"The speech of a despairing man is wind."  Job 6:26

Some of us may say likewise.  But the despair belongs to the wind. He still said, "Though He slay me, yet will I trust in Him"  (13:15) which all flows into the wonderful testimony,  "I know that my Redeemer lives and at the last He will stand upon the dust."  19:25 (ESV).

I feel very much at home with Job´s existential testimony.  I feel like kissing s Job 19:25.  Job´s super spiritual friends had uttered, "What can you know?" (11:8) or "What do you know what that we do not know?"  (15:9).  And Elihu challenged  him asking, "Declare what you know!"  (34:33).

So here Job declares what he knows.  "My Redeemer lives..."

I happened once to confront a liberal theologian with Job´s testimony.  But that unsaved theologian said in a haughty manner, "I believe Job was insane when he said that."  But Job´s testimony was the most sane testimony ever.   It was a gospel testimony.  O, the comfort of the gospel is indeed "designed" for despairing people. Such as some of us.

So apart from that gospel I´m a despairing man too.  I remember in my early youth going through deep waters of despair in the "boot camp" of New Tribes Mission in PA.  One bold "holiness" student from Canada saw me and asked me, "Are you sure you are saved?"  I remember I said to him, "You can take everything from me, but you can´t take the Lord from me."  Didn´t Job say something similar?

Job had also said, "Have I help in me when resource is driven from me?"  (6:13).  Certainly not.  There was no help to find in him nor in you and me. It´s at such moments of despair the Holy Spirit, our faithful Comforter, gently directs our attention to Christ and the resource we have in Him.  This has been my gospel fanfare over the years, and under that glorious banner I´ve seen lost souls pass from death to life to the glory of Christ.  PTL for Job´s testimony!  PTL for the gospel of Christ!

Nov. 11, 2019 - jn