I am using the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading.

Today, I am reading and commenting on Job 11-15.

    As I begin reading this I am reminded of a post by a friend on Facebook about suicide awareness which I saw this morning, expressing their struggle with depression. In today’s passage the third of Job’s friends replies to him. Zophar tells Job that he deserves to suffer and almost certainly deserves to suffer even more than he is. According to Zophar only the wicked suffer, while the godly always lead pleasant lives. Even if this was not wrong, it would be a terrible thing to say to someone whose suffering is already causing them to flirt with the idea of dying, as Job’s previous comments make clear is true of Job. However, Job responds by telling Zophar, and the other two, that they are no better than he. And this is one of the first things we must make clear when we confront those whose sin is causing their suffering: I am no better than you. Actually, that is a message for us to communicate to anyone who is suffering.

    AS I further read Job’s response to Zophar I am struck by how often some of what he says is echoed by those who are suicidal. All too often we mock those who are struggling and provide a push to those who contemplating taking their own life. While at the same time allowing those who bring harm to others to live in peace. It would be better for us to remain silent in the presence of those who are suffering than to give them the same useless advice proffered by Job’s friends.

    I mentioned yesterday that I struggle with reading the Book of Job because of the need to keep in mind what God says to the people in it at the end. Well, in many ways that is a good reason to read through the book time and again, the book contains a lot for us to learn. And this brings us to another passage in it which I struggle to write about clearly:

Can the dead live again?
   If so, this would give me hope through all my years of struggle,
   and I would eagerly await the release of death.
You would call and I would answer,
   and you would yearn for me, your handiwork.
For then you would guard my steps,
   instead of watching for my sins.
My sins would be sealed in a pouch,
   and you would cover my guilt.

Job started this with a rhetorical question for which he thought the answer was “No”. He then goes on to tell us how things would be different for those suffering from depression if the answer was “Yes”. And that is the wonderful thing because, in Christ, the answer is indeed, “Yes, the dead can live again.” Which means that we do not need to fear death. In fact we can embrace our coming death because what awaits us beyond it is so much better. But there is more to it than that, because the dead can live again, God yearns for us and guards our steps. He has sealed our sins in a pouch and has covered our sins with the blood of Jesus.