In the Book Of Job there is a dramatic change in Job's character. He speaks Godly truth, of which the Word describes as 'not sinning nor charging God foolishly' (Job 1:22) and also speaking of God's sovereignty (Job 2:10-11), with God's Word then proclaiming "In all this he did not sin with his lips". His character shines strongly, established before God and man. God even proclaims Job's righteousness, that there is NONE more righteous than Job. But then look not only at Job 3:1 but the entire chapter of Job 3, where Job seriously has an emotional 'breakdown':

Job 3
1 After this opened Job his mouth, and cursed his day.
2 And Job spake, and said,
3 Let the day perish wherein I was born, and the night in which it was said, There is a man child conceived.
4 Let that day be darkness; let not God regard it from above, neither let the light shine upon it.
5 Let darkness and the shadow of death stain it; let a cloud dwell upon it; let the blackness of the day terrify it.
6 As for that night, let darkness seize upon it; let it not be joined unto the days of the year, let it not come into the number of the months.
7 Lo, let that night be solitary, let no joyful voice come therein.
8 Let them curse it that curse the day, who are ready to raise up their mourning.
9 Let the stars of the twilight thereof be dark; let it look for light, but have none; neither let it see the dawning of the day:
10 Because it shut not up the doors of my mother's womb, nor hid sorrow from mine eyes.
11 Why died I not from the womb? why did I not give up the ghost when I came out of the belly?
12 Why did the knees prevent me? or why the breasts that I should suck?
13 For now should I have lain still and been quiet, I should have slept: then had I been at rest,
14 With kings and counsellors of the earth, which build desolate places for themselves;
15 Or with princes that had gold, who filled their houses with silver:
16 Or as an hidden untimely birth I had not been; as infants which never saw light.
17 There the wicked cease from troubling; and there the weary be at rest.
18 There the prisoners rest together; they hear not the voice of the oppressor.
19 The small and great are there; and the servant is free from his master.
20 Wherefore is light given to him that is in misery, and life unto the bitter in soul;
21 Which long for death, but it cometh not; and dig for it more than for hid treasures;
22 Which rejoice exceedingly, and are glad, when they can find the grave?
23 Why is light given to a man whose way is hid, and whom God hath hedged in?
24 For my sighing cometh before I eat, and my roarings are poured out like the waters.
25 For the thing which I greatly feared is come upon me, and that which I was afraid of is come unto me.
26 I was not in safety, neither had I rest, neither was I quiet; yet trouble came.

WHAT HAPPENED? Granted he went through more than many people could handle. The loss of property, wealth, his 10 children, his name/status in the community...and yet through it all he handled himself with Godly maturity and wisdom, never ONCE cursing God. Even when his wife came against him and said 'curse God and die', Godly Job gently pointed her in the direction of GODLY wisdom and said, "What? shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil?" During BOTH chapters 1 and 2 satan was out to get Job to curse God - and God thus permitted the trials. But JOB NEVER FALTERED! AND at THIS POINT, satan is never mentioned again in the Book of Job...after Job's final confession of faith in 2:10, satan is never heard of again.

So, WHAT HAPPENED???? It clearly proclaims in 3:1, "After this opened Job his mouth, and cursed his day.

Where is that man of God??? The one God is so proud of? Even biblical scholars have thought, "It must be a different author". But a better explanation is that the devastating effects of self-pity and an unduly prolonged morbid introspection have caused Job to come to the conclusion that he had been treated unjustly and to feel sorry for himself. Keep in mind, this happened over a period of time - it wasn't an 'abrupt sudden change' in Job's character. This was back in the day where there was no easy communication - no cell phones, no internet, no postal service. The Word says that Job's friends heard of what happened to Job and they came together. But they lived in different parts of the East - so, for them to receive word of all that had happened, to have then been able to communicate with each other, set a date to meet and then to travel together, and then actually make the trip and arrive to where Job was physically - it must have been months.

MONTHS of sitting on the dung heap...wallowing in self-pity, in misery. He was an outcast now. Who did he have in his life to encourage him? Even his wife pointed a finger and said, 'curse God and die'. When a person is ALLOWED to wallow in self-pity, when left alone, not engaging in the presence and worship of God (NO MATTER WHAT), you can see that even THIS righteous example of a FRIEND OF GOD then goes from being worthy of God praise/'bragging' to becoming an ACCUSER OF the same God he so strongly defended!

The Lord send me here today to ask you, "What happens when YOU are tried? Is it lip service for show - "Oh, MY God is FAITHFUL!" only then to cry and pound your fists on the floor shouting, "WHY GOD WHY?" or "WHY ME, GOD???".

Is Job's 'transformation' not a red warning flag that even the most righteous can stumble into doubt? fear? blame?

YOU ARE NOT SO BIG IN GOD THAT THIS CANNOT HAPPEN TO YOU.

If YOU do not remain immersed in the things of God NO MATTER WHAT - if YOU do not seek His face, lay at His feet - not moaning and crying but in awe and praise; if YOU do not worship ANYWAY and read His Word ANYWAY - YOU TOO CAN WAKE UP TO FIND YOURSELF ON A DUNG HEAP - in a funk of depression, doubt, fear and darkness.

You must ask Holy Spirit - your Comforter, your Guide, to stir you up, to draw you, to give you NO REST, NO OUT, NO ESCAPE apart from the things of God - you MUST keep your eyes upon Jesus, the Author and Finisher of your faith - in order to MAKE IT THROUGH.

Seek Him with all that you are. And yes, there are times when God will step back and "hide" during your deepest trials - but this happens ONLY to see if you WILL pursue Him no matter what. And keep in remembrance, HE ONLY ALLOWS WHAT YOU CAN BEAR ALWAYS - AND - ALL THINGS WORK TOGETHER FOR YOUR GOOD ALWAYS - His ways are NOT our ways and He will thus see you through these trials as He sees fit. But He will ALSO draw closer to you than you can possibly imagine - loving on you and encouraging you - onward and upward to the next level in Him.

DO NOT REJECT/RUN FROM THE TRIALS GOD SETS BEFORE YOU! THIS IS THE HOUR OF REFINING, PERFECTING! When Job was at his strongest in the Lord he was shown WORSHIPING THE LORD. Job ACCEPTED that God is sovereign, that God is good NO MATTER WHAT, and that God KNOWS WHAT HE IS DOING. You CANNOT REPRESENT HIM IN AND OF YOUR FLESH. You CANNOT REPRESENT HIM from a place of luke-warmness with one foot in the world. You MUST BE 100 PERCENT HIS. And for THAT TO HAPPEN, you must surrender NOW, proclaiming "THY WILL BE DONE IN MY LIFE FOR YOUR GLORY LORD."

IF YOU ARE GOING THROUGH THE FIRES -

First and foremost you really need HIM AND ONLY HIM. Do not seek out others, do not post abroad all of your trials (unless He tells you to) - do not glorify the enemy's onslaught in your life. NO! Stay before the Lord. Sit at His feet. Lay on your face at His feet. SPEAK ONLY THAT WHICH THE WORD PROCLAIMS ABOUT YOUR LIFE. Get your mouth into agreement with truth and light NOT darkness and despair.

IF YOU ARE A BYSTANDER -

If you have someone in your life who is going through the fires - PRAY AND ASK GOD if you are even ALLOWED to intervene OR if your intervention will GET IN GOD'S WAY. Because your stepping in OUT OF/APART FROM the perfect will of God is INTERFERENCE and will keep that person from God's intimate presence and ultimate purposes. But IF you ARE to be a strong tower in someone's life (who is going through God's pruning):

---DO NOT come as did Job's friends, with worldly philosophical views or religions legalism or holier-than-thou arrogance.

INSTEAD:

---COME prayed up, anointed for the task of encourager, edifier, teacher, friend of God
---COME prepared to speak NOT ONE WORD unless GOD GIVES YOU UTTERANCE, unless HE FILLS YOUR MOUTH.

THUS SAITH THE LORD:

"Dark days are on the horizon. THIS IS THE HOUR OF YOUR PREPARATION MY BELOVED ONE - THIS is the hour of My refining fires. Not only will you not be able to stand but you will not be able to represent Me to the hurting, dying masses if YOU do not allow me to strengthen you NOW.

Remember I do not allow more than you can bear.

Remember I am with you always.

You will either represent Me or you will represent the world, but YOU CANNOT DO BOTH ---AND--- you cannot represent Me in your weak and corrupt flesh. You MUST allow Me to make you, once and for all, into My image and likeness. DYING IS PAINFUL - but you MUST SURRENDER INTO MY HANDS FOR THIS FINAL ONSLAUGHT of righteousness over darkness. It is YOUR CHOICE. BUT if you are TRULY MINE, it isn't even a choice at all - you have already decided and "afraid" or not, you WILL COME UNTO ME FOR MY GLORY - to represent Me, as one of whom I can say,

"Hast thou considered my son, _________________?

"Hast thou considered my daughter, _________________?

"There is none like them in the earth, perfect and upright, who feareth God and escheweth evil," SAITH THE LORD. (2:20 PM - 2:27 PM)

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