Job’s friends failed to comfort Job in his sorrow. Instead, they debated the cause of his situation, putting the blame on some sin that must dominate Job’s life. In Job’s reply to his friends, he continues to assert his righteousness in spite of his suffering and their accusations. But he understands, in contrast to his friends, that he was in no position to argue with God. God is too wise. He cannot wrestle with God. God is too strong. He cannot even plead with God. God is too aloof in this time of suffering. Through it all, the pain does not stop. Job laments in verse 18 of Chapter 9 that God “…will not let me get my breath, but fills me with bitterness.”
It doesn’t take near the depth of pain that Job suffered to invade my life to make me bitter. Sometimes, it comes when I don’t get what I want, or I get less than I expect, or I feel slighted, or any number of less significant hurts than Job experienced. Loss, disappointment, pain, and suffering are just part of life. People hurt people. Sometimes we are hurt intentionally, and sometimes it’s unintentional. All of us have experienced it. We are all tempted to respond with bitterness, and sometimes, it clamps down on our lives like shackles on our legs and won’t let us go. I’ve noticed that bitterness can be more painful than the hurt I allowed to cause it. I allow my stomach to churn, my mind to storm, and my soul to turn dark. Bitterness is one of the most dangerous plagues a Christian might catch. It will eat away at the vitality of our spiritual as well as our physical lives. It is indeed a “cancer of the soul.” Hindson says, “Bitterness is a deep, harbored hurt that poisons the soul. It eats away the vitality of your spiritual life like a cancer of the soul. It is the opposite of forgiveness.”[1]
One writer suggested that “there is a cure for this plague. One of the most beautiful words in any language is the word ‘forgive.’ The word is a common one, but the essence of the word is in the last part, ‘give. ‘” He argues we must “give” a release to the one we’ve perceived as having harmed us. I don’t mean that we need to put the blame on God and forgive Him. God never does wrong. “He is the very standard of right and wrong. The very idea borders on blasphemy and, at best, certainly is absurd.”[2] But Job needed to forgive his friends for their lack of compassion when he needed it most. He surrendered to the omnipotent hands of God and accepted his fate. He said that he would not accept only good things from God. He would also take the bad as well. But God insisted that Job forgive his friends. It was with Job’s prayer for his friends that God acted on his behalf. Job 42:10 says, “And the Lord restored the fortunes of Job when he had prayed for his friends. And the Lord gave Job twice as much as he had before.” Forgiveness is the balm that heals bitterness.
[1] Hindson, Edward E. 1999. God Is There in the Tough Times. Eugene, OR: Harvest House Publishers.
[2] Adams, Jay Edward. 1989. From Forgiven to Forgiving. Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.