Rue the Day

Scripture: After this Job opened his mouth, and cursed the day of his birth.  Job said: ...
Why did I not die at birth?
    Why did I not expire when I came out of the womb?
Why did her knees receive me?
    And why her breasts that I should nurse?
For now I would be lying down and would be at peace;
    I would have slept; then there would be rest for me,
with kings and counselors of the earth,
    who built ruins for themselves,
or with princes who had gold,
    who filled their houses with silver.
Job 3:1-2,11-15

Observation: The first words of Job's lament over his fate is to wish he had never been born. He proceeds to wish the day itself never existed, that the date would be expunged from record, and the day and night itself would be cursed. It is not a wish for non-existence, but rather for a "pass" from earthly life. Job wishes to simply be dead in the place of resting and peace, and therefore for the day he was born to have never existed.

This is an interesting "first target" for Job because it truly has no relevance or bearing on his situation or events. His birth provided him his entire life, which up until the most current events was very good. He does not lash out at the fate of his recent life, or at current events, or at the storm that killed his children, or even at thieves who took his livelihood and killed his servants. There are actual people whom Job could "blame". Instead, he goes after a somewhat irrelevant date in history.

Job is so distraught in life that he simply takes the "it would be better if I were never born" mantra. However, this approach again shows his piety. Even in his great sorrow, Job refused to blame anything that is of God. People and nature - the good and the bad - are the perfect creation of God, so Job does not attack the wicked people or bad circumstances. He instead curses the calendar, a man-made contrivance for marking history.

Application: I worship God, love Jesus, and lament his creation and created. I get mad and frustrated with people who are trying to just go about their business, let alone those who are wicked. I dislike a lot, and most of it is stuff God created. This cannot be.

As I continue to seek to soften my heart, I must include my attitude toward God's creation. "Stuff" cannot be hated if I claim to love God who made the stuff.

Prayer: Abba, father, thank you for this day, and for your great gifts. Please forgive me for not being a good steward of all you have provided, from my daily bread, to the earth around me, to people in my midst. May I love them all today with just a little bit of your great love. Amen.