My days have passed, my plans are shattered, and so are the desires of my heart (Job 17:11).

Even though Job shared these discouraging words to us in the midst of his heartbreak over 3,000 years ago, I don’t believe they were limited to his time.  I would guess similar thoughts are reflected upon every day in the hearts and minds of people all around us, notably singles.

It is sort of an Eeyore (the loveable donkey known for his gloomy and depressive nature in Winnie the Pooh stories) type of mentality—you have great friends, freedom to roam, exciting adventures, yet have bouts of despondency and an outlook that plans will fail.
 
At times, when I have these thoughts, I sometimes wonder if my plans and desires were not of God, if he has a different direction for my life, if I messed up somewhere along the way and if there is a chance things will ever get better.

Feelings like these expressed by Job and experienced by some of us, are rooted from being dissatisfied.  Dissatisfied with ourselves, dissatisfied with others, dissatisfied with our relational status or relationships, dissatisfied with our situation or career, dissatisfied with what we have or don’t have, or dissatisfied with our inability to control any of this.

Death and Destruction are never satisfied, and neither are the eyes of man (Proverbs 27:20).

The source of this dissatisfaction can be traced back to the beginning of man, and the author of deception.

‘Really?’ he (the serpent) asked the woman.  ‘Did God really say you must not  eat any of the fruit in the garden?’  ‘Of course we may eat it,’ the woman told  him.  ‘It’s only the fruit from the tree at the center of the garden that we are not  allowed to eat.  God says we must not eat it or even touch it, or we will die.’ ‘You  won’t die!’ the serpent hissed’  (Genesis 3:1-4).

The enemy operates with a salesman-style personality—trying to convince us we are discontent with all of the things we are blessed with and to focus on the things we don’t have. 

His desire is to keep us wanting more, and that “more” is of the world, not of God.  If Satan can discourage us to be dissatisfied with ourselves, our situation or anything in this world, he accomplishes his task. 

My days have [not] passed

How I wish that I might have what I ask for and that God would give me what I  hope for (Job 6:8).