Job 29: Believe in yourself. You have the power.
Job Part 29 of 42
1 Job again took up his parable, and said,
2 “Oh that I were as in the months of old,
as in the days when God watched over me;
Oh, he’s still watching. It’s just that he’s letting Satan screw with you. He’s so caring. NOT.
3 when his lamp shone on my head,
and by his light I walked through darkness,
The placebo effect from false confidence. You could do this stuff on your own.
4 as I was in the ripeness of my days,
when the friendship of God was in my tent,
5 when the Almighty was yet with me,
and my children were around me,
6 when my steps were washed with butter,
and the rock poured out streams of oil for me,
Rocks poured out oil? Rocks? Ok, if you say so.
7 when I went forth to the city gate,
when I prepared my seat in the street.
8 The young men saw me and hid themselves.
Why would they hide themselves? Did they fear you?
The aged rose up and stood.
9 The princes refrained from talking,
and laid their hand on their mouth.
10 The voice of the nobles was hushed,
and their tongue stuck to the roof of their mouth.
11 For when the ear heard me, then it blessed me;
and when the eye saw me, it commended me:
12 Because I delivered the poor who cried,
and the fatherless also, who had none to help him,
Very commendable. Keep it up and don’t worry about other crap.
13 the blessing of him who was ready to perish came on me,
and I caused the widow’s heart to sing for joy.
14 I put on righteousness, and it clothed me.
My justice was as a robe and a diadem.
Justice comes from actions, not objects.
15 I was eyes to the blind,
and feet to the lame.
16 I was a father to the needy.
The cause of him who I didn’t know, I searched out.
So far so good.
17 I broke the jaws of the unrighteous,
and plucked the prey out of his teeth.
Well that’s not nice. You kind of ruined it then.
18 Then I said, ‘I shall die in my own house,
I shall number my days as the sand.
19 My root is spread out to the waters.
The dew lies all night on my branch.
20 My glory is fresh in me.
My bow is renewed in my hand.’
21 “Men listened to me, waited,
and kept silence for my counsel.
Is this what you need to feel good? As soon as you start ‘expecting’, you lose half the good you’ve done.
22 After my words they didn’t speak again.
My speech fell on them.
23 They waited for me as for the rain.
Their mouths drank as with the spring rain.
24 I smiled on them when they had no confidence.
They didn’t reject the light of my face.
25 I chose out their way, and sat as chief.
I lived as a king in the army,
as one who comforts the mourners.
Just continue doing good and you’ll be fine. But if you give up just because things go wrong for a while, you’re doomed. Have faith in your own abilities and not the vagaries of a mythical god, who, even if he were real, would be the cause of your problems.