How Do you Help the Brokenhearted See God Clearly? ⋆ Effie Darlene Barba

As we left Job in our study last week, we saw him fighting back. Angry, frustrated, he accused God of not being good. He believed that what happened to him was an act of injustice aimed to harm him. Although there were moments of great declarations of truth, as his agony continued, Job ultimately becomes so inwardly drawn that he insisted on his innocence. In declaring his innocence, he also insinuated that God was unjust in his care of Job. Job’s counselors had failed. Instead of driving him closer to God, they drove him deeper into self-reflection and thereby, human reasoning. So, how do you help the Brokenhearted see God clearly rather than drive them deeper into despair? Elihu encourages us as he steps onto the stage to rightly present God to Job and the three counselors who came before him.

To be fair, Job began with great proclamations of faith. Then even as his despair drove him in a deep depression, some of his declarations were truly inspired. Like, “For I know that my Redeemer lives, and He shall stand at last on the earth. And after my skin is destroyed, this I know, that in my flesh I shall see God” (Job 19:25-36). Or his plead for a mediator in Job 9 because God is not a man.

Ah, but we do know the Redeemer who is our mediator and who lived as a man among us even though He is God. “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.” (John 1:14) For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus I Timothy 2:5.

Trapped, Confused and Brokenhearted

Job’s counselors kept the focus on Job more than on God, hence driving him into a corner like a frightened tiger who lashed out against them even against God. Self-defense is a natural human instinct. God given; this is to help protect us against the enemy around us. However, when it runs amuck as it did in this case, it only works against us. That happens when we look too long at ourselves and our fragile feelings rather than looking to God. One might say Job did continue to cry out to God in his brokenhearted state. Yet, as time went by his cry was one of frustration and bitterness rather than trust. He had truly lost sight of who God really is. Definitely He had lost sight of God’s goodness, mercy and love.

Easy to do when we face trials. However, our only true hope is found in God himself, especially when we are brokenhearted by life.

We, like Job, tend to cry out to God—angry, frustrated and demanding an answer when life gets messy and hard. So quickly we forget the blessings we have. How often we fail to remember the sacrifice that Jesus made on our behalf. The pain and suffering He endured on our behalf that we might be accounted as righteous.

As Paul the apostle wrote from his imprisonment.

⁸Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me His prisoner, but share with me in the sufferings for the gospel according to the power of God, ⁹who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began, ¹⁰but has now been revealed by the appearing of our Savior Jesus Christ, who has abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel, ¹¹to which I was appointed a preacher, an apostle, and a teacher ^[^c^]of the Gentiles.

¹²For this reason I also suffer these things; nevertheless I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep what I have committed to Him until that Day. 2 Timothy 1:8

Help for the Brokenhearted

Elihu took the stage to turn Job’s eyes off himself to look at the glorious goodness and justice of God. For we know,

“The godly cry out and the Lord hears; He saves them from all their troubles. ¹⁸The Lord is near the brokenhearted; He delivers those who are discouraged.
¹⁹The godly face many dangers, but the Lord saves them from each one of them.” (Psalm 34:17-19).

This is the truth that Job had forgotten and many of us forget. We may not understand why the sorrow must last so long; but God is wise and knows what is best for each of his children. He has a perfect plan based upon His Perfect love. That is the truth we must hold fast to when life causes our hearts to break, lest our spirits fade.

Even our Suffering Has Purpose

²⁸And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. Romans 8:

But look carefully at the verses preceding and following this verse.

²⁶Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession ^[^g^]for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. ²⁷Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God.

We do not know what is best or even what we should ask for at times. Much like Job. And yet, our suffering has purpose.

²⁹For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. ³⁰Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified.

Whenever you feel so brokenhearted, He loves us too much to leave us where He found us, wandering down some road to nowhere. We are His redeemed, beloved, children for whom He bestows all spiritual blessings in high places. If only we could see Him more clearly, we would forever rejoice in that truth.

A Different Approach-Personal

Elihu had listened carefully to all that was said by Job, Eliphaz, Bildad and Zophar. Now, he was offended and frustrated on behalf of God. Should we not also be offended by how so many talk about God; yet, without presenting the truth of God? All around us are so many who want to tell us God’s answer when all they have are: Aristocratic Authoritarianism, Humanistic Philosophy, and legalism with little true knowledge of who God is.

Job 33: “But please, Job, hear my speech,
And listen to all my words.
²Now, I open my mouth;
My tongue speaks in my mouth.
³My words come from my upright heart;
My lips utter pure knowledge.
⁴The Spirit of God has made me,
And the breath of the Almighty gives me life.
⁵If you can answer me,
Set your words in order before me;
Take your stand.
⁶Truly I am ^[^a^]as your spokesman before God;
I also have been formed out of clay.
⁷Surely no fear of me will terrify you,
Nor will my hand be heavy on you.

There is a stark difference in even the opening of his speech. Elihu is the only one who addressed Job by his name and pleaded he listen. That one act of respect makes a huge difference. The others spoke over Job. Now Elihu speaks to him. He reminds Job that without God giving unto men and women life, there is none. Then, he presents himself as merely clay, just as Job with no superiority to cause Job fear.

Reflection

In counseling, reflection is like holding up a mirror, repeating back to the person what they have said. Not only does this demonstrate that one has truly listened; but also helps them to hear their own words with a new clarity. This is what Elihu does next as he quotes the words of Job to him.

Job 33: ⁸“Surely you have spoken ^[^b^]in my hearing,
And I have heard the sound of your words, saying,
⁹‘I am pure, without transgression;
I am innocent, and there is no iniquity in me.
¹⁰Yet He finds occasions against me,
He counts me as His enemy;
¹¹He puts my feet in the stocks,
He watches all my paths.’

¹²“Look, in this you are not righteous.
I will answer you,
For God is greater than man.
¹³Why do you contend with Him?
For He does not give an accounting of any of His words.

Elihu points out to Job, that God does not have to give account to anyone what He does because He is God—the just, benevolent, all powerful creator of the Universe. By reflection, Elihu helps Job to see the truth—his heart was sinful, even if all his lifelong actions had been righteous. Job had relied on himself rather than to rely on God who gave him life.

Isaiah 55

Seek the Lord while He may be found,
Call upon Him while He is near.
⁷Let the ^[^b^]wicked forsake his way,
And the unrighteous man his thoughts;
Let him return to the Lord,
And He will have mercy on him;
And to our God,
For He will abundantly pardon.

⁸“For My thoughts are not your thoughts,
Nor are your ways My ways,” says the Lord.
⁹“For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
So are My ways higher than your ways,
And My thoughts than your thoughts.

¹⁰“For as the rain comes down, and the snow from heaven,
And do not return there,
But water the earth,
And make it bring forth and bud,
That it may give seed to the sower
And bread to the eater,
¹¹So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth;
It shall not return to Me ^[^c^]void,
But it shall accomplish what I please,
And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.

God Speaks to Us in Our Suffering to Save Us from ourselves

He opens the ears of men
And seals their instruction,
¹⁷
That He may turn man aside from his conduct,
And keep him from pride;
¹⁸
He holds back his soul from the pit [of destruction], Job 33: 16-18 (AMP)

Proclaiming the Wonders of God to the Brokenhearted

God IS Higher than Man

Job 34:1-8 (AMP) Elihu continued speaking [to Job] and said,
“Do you think this is according to [your] justice?
Do you say, ‘My righteousness is more than God’s’?
“For you say, ‘What advantage have you [by living a righteous life]?
What profit will I have, more [by being righteous] than if I had sinned?’
“I will answer you,
And your companions with you.
“Look to the heavens and see;
And behold the skies which are [much] higher than you.
“If you have sinned, what do you accomplish against Him?
And if your transgressions are multiplied, what have you done to Him?
“If you are righteous, what do you give God,
Or what does He receive from your hand?
“Your wickedness affects only a man such as you,
And your righteousness affects only ^[^a^]a son of man [but it cannot affect God, who is sovereign].

God is Just

Job 36:5=10 (AMP)
“Behold, God is mighty, and yet does not despise anyone [nor regard any as trivial];
He is mighty in the strength and power of understanding.
“He does not prolong the life of the wicked,
But gives the afflicted their justice.
“He does not withdraw His eyes from the righteous [those in right standing with Him];
But with kings upon the throne
He has seated them forever, and they are exalted.
“And if they are bound in bonds [of adversity],
And held by cords of affliction,
Then He declares to them [the true character of] their deeds
And their transgressions, that they have acted arrogantly [with presumption and notions of self-sufficiency].
“He opens their ears to instruction and discipline,
And commands that they return from evil.

God is Mighty.

Joh 37: 5-7 (AMP) God thunders marvelously with His voice;
He does great things which we cannot comprehend.
“For He says to the snow, ‘Fall on the earth’;
And [He speaks] to the showers and to the downpour [of His mighty rains], ‘Be strong.’
“God seals (brings to a standstill, stops) [by severe weather] the hand of every man,
That all men [whom He has made] may know His work [that is, His sovereign power and their subjection to it].

God is Good, Wise, and In Control of All Things

Job 37: 9-14 (NKJV)From the chamber of the south comes the whirlwind,
And cold from the scattering winds of the north.
¹⁰By the breath of God ice is given,
And the broad waters are frozen.
¹¹Also with moisture He saturates the thick clouds;
He scatters His ^[^c^]bright clouds.
¹²And they swirl about, being turned by His guidance,
That they may do whatever He commands them
On the face of ^[^d^]the whole earth.

¹³He causes it to come,
Whether for ^[^e^]correction,
Or for His land,
Or for mercy. “Listen to this, O Job;
Stand still and consider the wondrous works of God.

When you are so deeply brokenhearted or when counseling the brokenhearted, remember God is in control Whatever comes. Whether it be for correction, or for the good of the kingdom, or for mercy, stand still and consider the wondrous works of God. Then, you will find Him to be enough. Trust Him when life seems so inconceivable.

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Disclosures

©Effie Darlene Barba, 2021
Disclosure of Material Connection: I have not received any compensation for writing this post. Furthermore, I have no material connection to the brands, products, or services that I have mentioned except for my own books. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.