February 6, 2026

Today's Reading: Job 3:11-26

Daily Lectionary: John 1:35-51

“I am not at ease, nor am I quiet; I have no rest, but trouble comes.” (Job 3:26)

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

Everyone has a bad day. Some days are worse than others. In fact, some are downright terrible. Job had one of these terrible times. He was robbed of his children, his possessions, even his health. The book of Job is often hard to read. He is utterly miserable, even longing for death. This is not easy stuff for us to hear or think about. And while preachers and teachers often hold up Job as a model of steadfast faith amid hardship, we should not overlook the depth of his despair.

Statistically speaking, many today feel just like Job. Anxiety and depression, even to the point of wishing for death, are increasingly common. Chances are, everyone reading this either knows someone who suffers from these afflictions or has struggled with them personally. What makes this kind of suffering so difficult is that it is not visible like a physical wound. There is no easy bandage or quick remedy for the grief of the heart and the anguish of the soul.

But the book of Job does not leave him wallowing in the dust. His friends Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar came to sit with him. They did not get everything right; they even made some things worse with their advice. But they came. They showed up. They sat in silence for seven days. And even in their imperfection, they remind us what Christian compassion can look like. We may not be able to fix a given situation or explain it, but we can show up.

Most importantly, God did not abandon Job. Though Job struggled, he never cursed God, because he knew, somehow, that God was still his Redeemer. And Job was right. In chapter 19, Job makes a bold confession: “I know that my Redeemer lives, and at the last He will stand upon the earth.” He believed in the resurrection. He trusted in a Deliverer.

God does not promise us a life without suffering. In fact, He prepares us to expect it. But He does give us something even greater: Jesus Christ, who suffered in our place, endured the cross, and rose again. He meets us in our darkest days and leads us through death and despair to resurrection and life everlasting.

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

When in the hour of deepest need we know not where to look for aid; when days and nights of anxious thought no help or counsel yet have brought, then is our comfort this alone that we may meet before Your throne; to You, O faithful God, we cry for rescue in our misery. For You have promised, Lord, to heed Your children’s cries in time of need through Him whose name alone is great, our Savior and our advocate. Amen. (LSB 615:1-3)

Rev. Christopher Brademeyer, St. John's Lutheran Church in Oakes, ND

Audio Reflections Speaker: Rev. Richard Heinz, pastor at Trinity Lutheran Church in Lowell, IN.

Better understand difficult and overlooked Old Testament passages in this new book by Authors R. Reed Lessing and Andrew E. Steinmann. Their conversational yet academic writing style makes learning about the Old Testament accessible to those at all points in their Bible reading journey. Discussion questions at the end of each chapter invite you to think more in-depth about what you just read and record your answers. To stretch your understanding, a list of resources for further reading is also included at the back of the book.