Think a Minute:
Everyone has heard story of Job in the Old Testament of the Bible. Here was a man who loved God with all of His heart, yet God allowed everything to be taken from him for no apparent reason. His possessions, his wealth, his family…all gone, but then later on in the story, God restored everything back to him. Why did this happen? My friends, I believe that sooner or later, each of us identify with Job. There aren’t too many of us who will ever suffer the depths which swallowed up his life. The torment which consumed him, and more specifically his response, involuntarily draws us toward him. What is it about Job with which we so identify? Hopefully I can share a little insight to encourage you today.
I am convinced that Job is God’s gift to us to strengthen our faith and courage. He models the perfect response to the tragedies and heartaches which, sooner or later, come upon us all. He is not perfect in the sense that he is without mistakes, but perfect in that his faith in the Lord never wavered. He is one of the greatest examples of faith. Here I believe is another lesson.
If you and I cling to the integrity of God – His promised mercy and grace, then we can face trials as Job did. We can taste the same pain and not be consumed. We can defeat the defeatable foe. Job’s life is God’s gift to give us hope and courage in our hearts when waves of despair snuff out the flames of our enthusiasm. His courage encourages us – it inspires us to have courage. I believe that as we endure our adversity with God’s help, we will find that as with Job, our faith and courage will sustain us. Even on the days when we are so weary and weak, that we don’t know how we can go on…the thought of Job and how God strengthened Him in his adversity gives us hope. May I give you a word of encouragement today?
Let not your heart be troubled. Do not despair over extreme adversity that comes upon you like waves in an ocean. God always…always…always works these things together for good when you and I, like Job, are called according to His purpose. As you pray the following prayer, fall down in worship of the God who loves you:
“Dear God, I am very tired. Circumstances have snuffed the flickering flame of hope I held for my future. The waves of what You have allowed have swept over me. I confess I have accused You of wrongdoing. Forgive me. I confess that I have thought more about why You would let this happen to me than about how to properly respond. Forgive me. I realize that life doesn’t always turn out like I planned, but I know that You give and You take away for our good! Therefore I say, blessed is the name of the Lord!”
Amen and Amen!
Pastor Rob Pesola