Job 16:12

"I was at ease, but he hath broken me assunder: he hath also taken me by my neck, and shaken me to pieces, and set me up for his mark."

Job is accusing God of His actions toward him. all of his sorrow and grief is his excuse to accuse God. The jarring of his life to pieces he says God did. Yet, we know Satan did it. I was at ease - woe unto them that are at ease; We are not in a place to sit idle. We are to be busy, and sloth is a sinful failure of many a Christian today. Letting their whole life go forward and shooting for nothing and desiring nothing. They live in a rountine life of ease, wanting nothing to rock the boat. But this is not life. For a christian must face hardships, to refine, strengthen, and be used of God for His glory. Cast off the cloak of ease, and gird up for battle, the enemy is approaching. And to the saint of God they have come to understand this truth, life is a battle until the end. and taking ease while Satan advances is a shameful sin of the church. How can the church be so content and unmoved by Satan gaining ground in this world? Taking souls, innocent souls and destroying lives left and right, how can we be at ease in such a time as this. 'Stand up, stand up for Jesus the battle is not done'. Sleep keeps us in the bed and prayer is left unattended for days upon weeks for many a so called Christian. Witnessing is discarded because of ease with life and we care not that they are perishing. Oh, how great is the sin of ease among the brethern today. Rise up and cast it aside for the time is far spent and the day is at hand and the night cometh when no man can work. But He hath broken me assunder - the hands of the Lord had crushed him, Job says; He was a broken man. Family lost, possessions lost, health lost and only his faith in God left and that was sorely tried. He is defending his being at ease and that God broke him to awaken him out of his ease. And the truth of that is demonstrated at times when God seeks to awaken His people outof their ease through tribulation and trials. It is unfortunate that we settle down in such a manner, but He can break us assunder. Let our life be what it is supposed to be and brokeness will keep us on guard. Brokeness stirs us up and awakens us from such ease. God had allowed for Satan to do that to Job. Job blamed God but the end result was that God received the glory over Satan, Job was blest. Is it necessary for us to be broken assunder in order to lift up our eyes unto Him, our Redeemer? It is not necessary, but we allow for ouselves to get to such a point that brokenness is the quickest route out of content, and sloth. ARe we willing to pray an honest prayer, 'Even O Lord if it takes breaking me assunder to glorify you'? a hard prayer indeed and necessary for the will of the Lord to be complete in us. As Jesus prayed, 'Nevertheless Father, not My will be done, but Thine'. He surrendered to brokenness for the glory of the FAther. A Christian is to be Christlike, are you able to follow in His steps with dying to self for the glory of the FAther through brokenness? He hath also taken me by my neck, and shaken me to pieces - Job declares that God has taken him and shaken him for unknown reasons to him; And it is that God does take a hold of some men to shake them. Those that defy Him, He will answer them face to face. 'It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.' He is the Creator and able to make and destroy His own creation. What shall we do if God lays His hand on us? Let it not be in wrath, but let it be in His mercy. This illustration Job uses, is very familar to me. My dad, used to take me by the neck or, at least would threaten to take me by the neck. The fear of of that was enough to invoke me to obedience. And so it is adaptable to make it a prayer: O Lord, take me by the neck and lead me where You want me to go. Take me but not in wrath, to acocmplish Thy desired end in me. And if I am shaken to pieces You are able to make me whole. and set me up for His mark - Job refers to this as God set a mark upon him for punishement; As Cain had his mark on him to distinquish him for his murder, so Job feels God has marked him. There is the mark of sin upon all men. And only He is able to cleanse us from that mark. Job was physically marked by scars now as his boils were no doubt healing. But his body was marked by the events that had unfolded. And look upon the makrs of our Lord, nail scarred and pierced for He bore the wrath of God for our sins.