“My face is red with weeping,
and on my eyelids is deep darkness” (Job 16:16)
There are times when you might find yourself identifying with Job. Perhaps, right now, Job’s words capture exactly how you feel. Job remembers how God struck him with unexpected blows, and it feels as if a powerful giant grabbed him by the neck, threw him to the ground, and then used him as a target. The arrows that hit him (Job 16:12-13) symbolize the disasters and misfortunes that God allowed to strike his life.
Job is in intense agony. His suffering reaches the depths of his soul. God strikes him “with breach upon breach” (Job 16:14). For a while, Job continues to complain. His despair seems unrelenting. But then, in verse 19, something shifts. His tone changes suddenly. In the midst of his anguish, he finds a glimmer of hope. He speaks of his “Witness” and one who “testifies” for him. Job lived long before Jesus came to earth, yet in that moment, God reveals something of who Jesus is. God gives Job the assurance that the Lord Jesus will defend him—not only against his friends who wrongly accuse him, but especially against Satan, the real adversary behind his suffering.
Like Job, you too can place your confidence in God’s judgment over your life. Trust that Jesus, your Advocate, stands ready to defend you!