He Will Not Let me Get My Breath
Life is hard. It leaves us breathless, exhausted and often, disillusioned. In these places of disorientation, we often reach for God. The Psalmists regularly called out to Him to “not forget,” “to remember,” “to come near.” They linked their problems to the absence of God. They believed God’s presence would assuage their sorrow and relieve their exhaustion.
But you and I know, it’s not always that simple. Sometimes, even the thought of God is painful. The Psalmists confirm, “When I remember God, I moan; when I meditate, my spirit faints” (Ps 77:3). This was Job’s experience. He grieved God’s presence, was hurt by his attention, and ached for him to leave him alone.
“I loathe my life; I would not live forever. Leave me alone, for my days are a breath. What is man, that you make so much of him, and that you set your heart on him, visit him every morning and test him every moment? How long will you not look away from me, nor leave me alone till I swallow my spit?” (Job 7:16-19).
Omnipresence was no source of comfort for Job. It terrified him. For Job, God’s relentless presence left him gasping for air—“he will not let me get my breath” (Job 9:17). Have you been here? I have, more than once, and I find courage in Job’s boldness.
When you find yourself in Job’s position, fill your mouth with his words. His words are for our encouragement, endurance, and hope (Rom 15:4). We need the book of Job in our arsenal. He shows us a rugged faith and ferocity that is demanded by the painful journey we must traverse.
Walter Brueggemann has it right, “We may give Job our attention precisely because he refuses all the pious conventionalities and will speak from the core of his hurt and from his deep, unrestrained sense of not being taken seriously.”[1] His authentic faith is key to understanding the thrust of the book (Job 42:7) and essential for navigating the challenges we all face.
Job gives me hope, he normalizes my disillusionment, he brings pain into the orbit of faith, he mentors me in honesty, and pushes me away from a fragile faith that cannot weather the storms of life. When you can’t catch your breath—I commend Job as a faithful companion and guide. He won’t let you down.
[1]Walter Brueggemann, Great Prayers of the Old Testament (Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press, 2008), 122.