Job 2.1-13
Job lost almost everything. In one day he lost all his donkeys, oxen, sheep, camels, servants, and his seven sons and three daughters. On another day he was stricken with loathsome sores from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head (Job 2.7); he sat in absolute misery and anguish on a pile of ashes, grieving the awfulness of what had happened. His wife saw and knew his grief; she, too, felt the pain of loss. In her sorrow she called on him to curse God and die (2.9). She likely wondered how Job could possibly stay a man of integrity and retain his faith in God who allowed such destruction. She concluded death would be welcomed and would only come through him turning his back on God. However, Job refused; his faith in God was deeper than his circumstances. But he said to her, “You speak as one of the foolish women would speak. Shall we receive good from God, and shall we not receive evil? In all this Job did not sin with his lips (2.10). He trusted the Lord and remained faithful.
Life can seem totally bad; we can look at our situations and think all is wrong, nothing is right, and there is no hope in moving forward; we can fall into deep despair, thinking there is no purpose, no reason to live, no hope for ever having energy, health, of ever being able to recover from the miserableness of our plight. However, we need to stop and consider what we know to be true. God is not surprised; He is not absent in our troubles; He is not oblivious to our pain; He is not uncaring in our uncertainties. The Lord is God, sovereign over all, ever loving and kind, and ever merciful and righteous. We do not have to understand how all things work together for good. We do need to remember that God is at work and is working in our lives to mold us to be more like Jesus. Pain can, and likely will, come. But this is not the end. May we trust our Lord in the most difficult to bring us through it, leading us in His perfect righteousness for our benefit and His glory.
Resting in God’s righteous design – we have much to be thankful for –
Terry
My Morning Desk 