6th November 2025

6th November 2025


Pray (ACts) 


Read (Job 16 & 17) 


Message (Scott Woodburn) 


The cartoon character Popeye could only be pushed so far until he would declare “That’s all I can stands, I can’t stands no more.” Have you ever been in that place? As each round of discussion took place, Job’s comforters became more and more heated - their friend Job would just not listen. Yet Job longed for help and he needed more from his companions than constant speeches about bad things happening to bad people. Nevertheless, the words that were spoken to him forced him to conclude that his friends were “miserable comforters” (v2). Job was at the end of his tether.


If his comforters offered no help, more seriously was the fact that Job felt worn out by God Himself (v7). He saw himself as “shrivelled” (v7b) and faced down by God who was like a mighty army against Job’s poor defence. The Lord had broken Job apart and dashed him to pieces (v12) and just as an army tries to smash through a castle’s walls, the Lord made breach after breach of Job’s defence (v14). The Lord was like a mighty warrior against Job’s broken and increasingly desperate life (v14b).


I doubt we have ever felt as lost. Indeed, Job's own lips declared “my spirit is broken; my days are extinct; the graveyard is ready for me.” (17v1). His comforters were not as wise as they believed (17v10), he had become one before whom men spit (17v3), the best of his life was over (17v11) and any plans for the future were gone (17v11b). Job watched as his hope died causing him to wonder if he and his hope would go together to the grave (17v13-16).


Yet, even as Job cowered before the constant attacks of God, there was still the flickering ember of faith. He knew that he had done no violence and that his prayer was pure (16v17), therefore he appealed to the Lord for justice. That’s an interesting dynamic isn’t it? Job believed he had been broken by the Lord and still he turned to God for vindication. He longed for his blood not to be shed in vain and for his cry to be heard (16v18). But there are many voices in the world which cry for justice and no one cares. Job was alone as his friends scorned him (16v20), so who would take Job’s side?


Job knew that his only witness was in heaven (16v19) and the only one to testify for Job would be God Himself (16v19b). Even in great weakness when all seemed lost, Job continued entrusting himself to the One who judged justly (1 Peter 2v23). Brothers and sisters, if you are in the place where you can't stand any more then understand that the Lord alone is your refuge. The old hymn is right "Judge not the Lord by feeble sense, but trust him for his grace; behind a frowning providence, he hides a smiling face."


Footnotes


Pray (acTS)


Sing


WSC


Q12 What special act of providence did God exercise toward man in the estate wherein he was created? When God had created man, he entered into a covenant of life with him, upon condition of perfect obedience; forbidding him to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, upon the pain of death.
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