Job 14: I'm Not as Strong as I Look

Have you ever felt like you were invincible, only to be humbled by life’s unexpected challenges? Join us on today’s episode of the Bible Breakdown podcast as Pastor Brandon shares a personal story about feats of strength at fairs, and how they taught him a surprising lesson about vulnerability. We'll explore Job, Chapter 14, where Job's honest reflections about human frailty and the need for divine support resonate deeply. Through his poetic expressions, Job reminds us of the transient nature of life, urging us to take an honest look at our own weaknesses and turn to God’s wisdom in our moments of suffering.

We'll continue our journey with a heartfelt prayer, seeking God's comfort and guidance for those going through tough times. Reflecting on Job 1:21, we highlight Job's unwavering faith and gratitude amidst his trials, underscoring the importance of staying spiritually connected even in adversity. Pastor Brandon emphasizes that God is with us in both good and bad times, encouraging listeners to listen for His voice rather than giving in to despair. Don’t miss our continued exploration of Job in the next episode, where we aim to find hope and resilience through our vulnerabilities.

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Chapters

• 0:00 Strength in Admitting Vulnerability
• 9:22 Finding Hope Through Vulnerability

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:24

Well, hello everybody. Welcome back to the Bible Breakdown podcast with your host, pastor Brandon. Today, job, chapter 14, and today's title is I'm Not as Strong as I Look. I'm Not as Strong as I Look. I don't know if you've ever done this before, but you ever done these different like go to the fair stuff, like that, and do these little feats of strength and you see, especially like you take the hammer and you're supposed to hit you know the, the, the platform, and then you have like that needle that goes up to show how strong you are. Well, I don't know about you, but when I I go up and I look at it in my mind I'm going, oh man, I could, I could use that hammer and I could hit that thing. I'll tear it up. I don't want to do. This is harder than it looks. Either I'm not as strong as I thought I was or this is harder than I thought it was, but either way, I'm not quite as up to the task as I thought. Maybe I need to run and go and try this again, right? Well, I don't know about you, but I felt like that a lot of times. When I see the problems of others, I see them struggling with something that, to my mind, because I'm not walking through it, it doesn't seem as difficult as they're making it out to be, and I go. You know, if that was me, I just trust the Lord, you know. And then it's my turn. I start going through a difficult season and I start to go wow, either this is a bigger deal than I thought or I'm not as strong as I thought. Either way, the great thing is is God is with us. We're going to see that today. But before we get into that, as always, if you like what we're doing here, make sure you like and share and subscribe to the YouTube channel and the podcast. Make sure you're letting people know about what's going on and, as always, make sure you're gathering together with us at the Bible Breakdown Discussion on Facebook, because the more we dig, the more we find, and they're doing an amazing job over there just teaching God's word to us through devotions and giving us different perspectives. They're just doing an amazing job, so make sure you are going and reading those devotions every day. Well, if you have your Bibles, I want to open up with me to Job, chapter 14.

Speaker 1: 2:21

One of the things I love about the book of Job is the raw honesty and that if you've ever been through anything difficult, you can identify with a lot of what Job is saying. Now, maybe you wouldn't say it the way he does because, remember, this Hebrew poetry is very different than the way we talk today, but you get the gist of what he's doing and he's been talking about how. You know, I need to talk to you, god, and I need you folks to be quiet. You know all this kind of stuff and today what we're going to see is where he just says you know, I'm not as strong as I thought I was, I'm not as strong as I look. I've actually got issues. I need help. I can't do this by myself and I tell you, one of the number one things they say to get out of a situation is to first of all take stock of where you truly are. I can't do this by myself. I need help. One of the greatest steps is to take an honest assessment of where you are. So we're going to read today, as Job is taking an extremely honest assessment at where he is, and to see how maybe God would speak to us about the idea of trusting God's wisdom in seasons of suffering. So, if you're ready.

Speaker 1: 3:25

Job, chapter 14, verse 1 of the New Living Translation says this how frail is humanity, how short is life, how full of trouble. We blossom like a flower and then wither Like a passing shadow. We quickly disappear. Must you keep an eye on such a frail creature and demand an accounting from me? Who can bring purity out of an impure person? No one. You have decided the length of our lives. You know how many months we live and we are not given a minute longer. So leave us alone and let us rest. We are like hired hands, so let us finish our work in peace. Even a tree has more hope. If it is cut down, it will sprout again and grow new branches. Let's finish our work in peace. At the scent of water it will bud and sprout again like new seedlings.

Speaker 1: 4:22

But when people die, their strength is gone. They breathe their last, and then where are they? As water evaporates from a lake and river disappears in drought, people are laid to rest and do not rise again Until the heavens are no more. They will not wake up nor be roused from their sleep. So basically, he's very poetically saying when someone dies, they're not wake up nor be roused from their sleep. So basically he's very poetically saying when someone dies, they're not here anymore. So once they die, they go elsewhere. They go either to be in heaven with God or they go to hell, separated from God, but they're no longer here anymore.

Speaker 1: 4:56

Verse 13,. I wish you would hide me in the grave and forget me until your anger has passed, but mark your calendar and think of me again. Can the dead live again? If so, this would give me hope through all my years of struggle, and I would eagerly await the release of death. You would call and I would answer. You would yearn for me your handiwork, for then you would guard my steps Instead of watching for my sins. My sins would be sealed in a pouch and you would cover my guilt.

Speaker 1: 5:29

But instead, as mountains fall and crumble and as rocks fall from a cliff, as water wears away the stones and as floods wash away the soil, so you destroy people's hope. Lord, help us. You always overpower them and they pass from the scene. You disfigure them in death and send them away. They never know if their children grow up in honor or sink to insignificance. They suffer painfully and their life is full of trouble.

Speaker 1: 5:59

So basically, what Job is saying is I realize now that I'm really washed up. I'm struggling, god. I'm struggling with the idea that I just don't want to be here anymore. I'm really coming to grips with the fact that it seems like in every other area of life people go through difficult situations, but like a tree, when the season changes, you bring it to life again, he said. But I feel like in my life it's just all going downhill and there's just not going to be anything else, and then when I die I'm going to be gone, like I'm not going to be able to experience the you know the the next season, cause I'm not going to make it through this one anymore. It's just really coming to grips with the depth of where he is and can I tell you a lot of times it's a great step for us.

Speaker 1: 6:45

Now the difficult thing that happens is we stay there. You know, one of the things I love is that the Bible says that, though he walks, he walks with me through the very shadow of death, and the idea is that we're walking through it, we're not camping out in it. One of the hard things is, if we stay in Job, chapter 14, we stay in that depth of boy. I'm not as strong as I thought I was. I don't think I can make this. I don't know if I can do this. If you stay there, if you you know set up home, you know set up shop and make your home there and you, you send your, you know, you start sending your mail there, that kind of thing that can lead to really bad places. The goal of admitting you're not as strong as you thought you were is so then you begin to look for strength outside yourself, and so I want to encourage you today.

Speaker 1: 7:33

If you're in that place in life where you would say you know what, I admit, I can't handle this, I can't do this, I'm not as strong as I thought I was, can I tell you that is a good place to start. It is a terrible place to stay. Once you have admitted you can't do this on your own, that's the moment when you turn to the Lord. Don't let the lie of the enemy come into your mind, because this is a vulnerable place. It's in these places where the enemy will start to say you can never do this, you'll never measure up, you're always going to be a failure. You're going to turn out like your parents or you're never going to be like your parents. You might as well quit. That's what the enemy will tell you.

Speaker 1: 8:15

But if you realize where you are and you allow that to turn you straight to God, what you'll hear the Lord say is I've come to rescue you. You were never intended to do this by yourself. I want to be closer than a brother. I want to lift you out of you. You'll hear hope and you'll hear peace. So I want to encourage you today is get ready to end our time together.

Speaker 1: 8:39

It's okay to take stock of your situation and to say I can't do this by myself, but whatever you do, don't stay there. Instead, that's the moment when you turn it to the Lord. And maybe, maybe that's not you, maybe you're not in a position where that's what you're feeling, but you know someone who is there. That they're wallowing is to be honest. They're, they're struggling. Now's the time to go to them. And you're not trying to paint pie in the sky and all this kind of stuff, because sometimes, if you go to someone who is mourning and you try to tell them, oh, it's fine, it's fine, all that does is make it worse, but instead go. You know what you're telling. The truth. This is tough. This is difficult.

Speaker 1: 9:22

This is the time for us to take it to the Lord, because in that vulnerability, god can speak peace and he can speak healing and give you a joy that surpasses any emotion. But you got to take it to him. Let's pray together right now. God, thank you so much that you give us the opportunity to take things to you. Lord, you're not just the God of the sunshine, but, god, you show yourself the most in the rain.

Speaker 1: 9:46

And, lord, I pray for everyone who is watching or listening to this today that they're going through a difficult season, and they have admitted I can't do this.

Speaker 1: 9:55

I pray, instead of that being a bottom end, a downward spiral, instead, that's the moment where they begin to look up, that they'll not listen to the lies of the enemy in Jesus' name, but rather they'll hear your voice, holy Spirit, remind them that you are there to rescue, you're there to be with them more than they can imagine. I pray as they turn to you, god, you will be the difference maker, you'll speak hope and peace and you'll give them a settled, confident joy. In Jesus' name, we pray Amen, amen, what God's Word says in Job 1, verse 21,. He said I came naked from my mother's womb and I will be naked when I leave. The Lord gave me what I had and he has taken it away. But praise the name of the Lord, that's Job's way of saying. God's given me everything I have and I'm going to praise him either way. What a way to live. I love you. I'll see you tomorrow for Job, chapter 15.