Thinking about Job 17-19. Faithful are the wounds of a friend? Job speaks and Bildad speaks. God sees and stores up His fellowship for an appointed time.

ie. Ps. 80:5 God gives the bread of tears and sometimes in great measure. I don’t like crying, but there is a beginning of eating the bread of tears and an end of eating the bread of tears. Some have nothing but laughter to eat. That is their portion in this world. God’s mercy has granted that, but some have the bread of tears in great measure. That was Job’s portion, certainly. He had a season of plenty and feasting and joy that was so plenteous that it made the heavenlies take notice. God’s servant, Job and the enjoyment of earth and fellowship with God altogether blessed was his first estate. This is a rare condition in any epoch. Job was a first and it was God’s purpose to show him off to the rest of history. As Job mentions, his marriage was not even a comfort in this season.

They say the patience of Job. The relationship that God had with Job was shining through the darkness of his temporary earthly cleft. He was in the darkness of grief for a season, that he might shine and exemplify the love of God for us and that God’s dark providences are not always a mark of His displeasure with us. Faith can help us see that in the dark. Faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the Word of God. Job is the mouthpiece, somewhat for our silent Savior in His lone suffering, who suffered like no other person. There was no complaining from His holy mouth, but he could have lamented with more justification than Job. God has not forgotten you, Job. But the things that God, Triune God, brought to Job’s light in and through his suffering was the fruit of real and developed communion with God. We must know God to know Him in our sufferings. If we don’t know Him in our joys, it is little likely that we will really know any more of Him in our griefs. God grant that we not waste our joys or our sorrows on the complaints that we often do. Grant that we open our eyes to see that our redeemer lives and is with us in each of these estates and to praise His name for such a vast condescencion. I know that my redeemer lives is our song, who know him, in joys and in sorrows alike.