Confirmation Sermon by Emily Zakrzewski

Job 30:16-31

¹⁶ ‘And now my soul is poured out within me; days of affliction have taken hold of me. ¹⁷ The night racks my bones, and the pain that gnaws me takes no rest. ¹⁸ With violence he seizes my garment;^* he grasps me by^* the collar of my tunic. ¹⁹ He has cast me into the mire, and I have become like dust and ashes. ²⁰ I cry to you and you do not answer me; I stand, and you merely look at me. ²¹ You have turned cruel to me; with the might of your hand you persecute me. ²² You lift me up on the wind, you make me ride on it, and you toss me about in the roar of the storm. ²³ I know that you will bring me to death, and to the house appointed for all living.

²⁴ ‘Surely one does not turn against the needy,^* when in disaster they cry for help.^{* 25} Did I not weep for those whose day was hard? Was not my soul grieved for the poor? ²⁶ But when I looked for good, evil came; and when I waited for light, darkness came. ²⁷ My inward parts are in turmoil, and are never still; days of affliction come to meet me. ²⁸ I go about in sunless gloom; I stand up in the assembly and cry for help. ²⁹ I am a brother of jackals, and a companion of ostriches. ³⁰ My skin turns black and falls from me, and my bones burn with heat. ³¹ My lyre is turned to mourning, and my pipe to the voice of those who weep.

Job 40:6, 8-9

6 Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind: ⁸ Will you even put me in the wrong? Will you condemn me that you may be justified? ⁹ Have you an arm like God, and can you thunder with a voice like his?

Job 42:1-6

42Then Job answered the Lord: ² ‘I know that you can do all things, and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted. ³ “Who is this that hides counsel without knowledge?” Therefore I have uttered what I did not understand, things too wonderful for me, which I did not know. ⁴ “Hear, and I will speak; I will question you, and you declare to me.”
⁵ I had heard of you by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees you; ⁶ therefore I despise myself, and repent in dust and ashes.’

Confirmation Sermon by Emily Zakrzewski

Job was a fortunate man who had everything. He had wealth, good health, family, and a job. It is to be said that he had 7 sons and 3 daughters, over 10,000 animals, and servants. This seems like such a perfect life, he has everything and is happy with his life. Today at some sort we have been there. No extreme worries, -- How similar is that to us here and now?

Satan came to God and said that Job is a believer because he has everything that he could ever need. A bet was made between God and Satan that everything of Job’s would be taken away, his good health, family, animals, and land. This wager would test Job’s faith and belief in God when he did not have anything. Satan believed that faith comes from owning stuff. God says that faith comes from the belief in someone greater and will be there even if all the stuff is taken away. As children of God why do you believe what you believe? Then everything is taken away from Job, severely testing his faith. With everything gone his friends think that Job must have done something wrong to deserve this. Is your faith something that you’ve been taught? Does your family force you? Is it because you have been blessed in a whole lot of ways? Or do you believe that God is actually the Creator who made all that we know and sent his son to live, die, and be raised so that we might have the opportunity to live? Why do you believe what you believe?

Job’s friends think that he must have done something wrong in order to have all of those bad things happen to him. They think that he needs to confess to God. But Job knows that he hasn’t done anything wrong. So he cries out to God. Job becomes depressed, wondering if there is anything worth living for, and is angered at this whole situation happening to him. How often have we looked at your own life situations like jobs loss, trouble paying bills, medical diagnoses and wondered, “why us? Why me? God, why?”

Then God responds to Job, “Really? Are you God? Do you know everything?” Obviously not. “So trust in me, not just in the good times but all that much more in the hard and painful times. Trust me no matter what is going on. I am God. Trust me and have faith that it will all work out.” Our faith provides us relief, guidance, and the hope that we will be led to a greater point of blessing. No matter what, the faith, the connection to God will lift you up. As believers in faith do you believe in him in both the happy times and struggles? Do you look to him for guidance and support no matter what?

This year for me has been the most challenging and disheartening year of my life. Going through such things that no one wants to go through I trusted in God to continue to help me through and believe that this situation happened for a reason and that also it would be resolved soon. Continuing to believe and praying has helped me get through and having faith in him that it will all work out. Throughout this confirmation class we have gained knowledge about God and have grown and learned where our faith stands. Just like the confirmation class you as the congregation can go to Bible Studies, read the Bible, pray, just continue to learn, hope, and live through his faith each day. Be the person God wants you to be no matter what.

That’s where Job ended up because he realized that he wasn’t God. He renewed his faith in God and God blessed him with everything that he had and more. God wants us to believe and if we do that we will be blessed. Believe, not just in the good times, which seems natural and easy, but all that much more in the difficult times. God will never leave you. Trust in Him. Believe in Him. And God will work out the rest the way it is supposed to be.

Amen.