The Chronological Bible put me in Job after Genesis. (Insert rolling eyes here)
I know that sounds horrible, but I just read Job in the fall of 2017 in its entirety and I struggled through it. God has a sense of humor, but he also knows what we need when we need it. I can remember after finishing up the book and looking back at the events in my personal life that God was showing me perseverance through trials…to not give up on Him…because better days were ahead. And He was ever so faithful!
This morning the scriptures that caught my eye were in Chapter 2, when Job’s wife says to him after being covered in boils and sores (and losing everything):
“Do you still retain your integrity? Curse God and die! Job replies with:
“You speak as a foolish woman speaks. Should we accept only good from God and not adversity?
I don’t remember this having such a profound impact on me the first time…’cause if it did, there would be a drawing somewhere in my Bible. But today, it was like God highlighted the scripture and I couldn’t concentrate to read anything else! Why would she say this? Didn’t she have faith like her husband? But as I think about it, she had lost her children, her husband was covered in sores and all their animals had been wiped out. As women, we are sensitive when it comes to our families and their well-being and I am pretty sure she felt quite lonely. Did that give her the authority to say what she said, absolutely not! But how many times have we been so discouraged with the circumstances that surround us that we refuse to go to church, pray or even get out of bed? No different than Job’s wife…we might as well say we gave up on God. When everything was going good, we were singing in the choir. Then when God wasn’t doing what we thought He should, we go silent.
It’s easy to thank God on the mountain, but the true test of faith is when we are standing in the valley, empty-handed and feeling far away from God. I can assure you, He is always with you, even when you don’t feel Him. I am sure Job’s wife felt so far away from God, because how can we explain a loving God allowing us to lose a loved one, experience financial ruin or sickness in our lives? Well, I have learned that everything we go through on this side of eternity is to draw us to a more intimate relationship with our Creator. There are no happenstances or coincidences. Everything is ordained by God to bring Him glory. Sometimes, just like Job, the devil will try everything he can to make you doubt God and his sovereignty. We aren’t immune to him and his tricks. Sometimes we have the sores to be reminded of our divine healing in Christ. Job statement reminds me that God is still God, even when we don’t understand His ways. I wrote at the top of my notes Sunday morning, “His love is stronger than our pain” as the choir was singing. I’m pretty sure Job was saying the same thing to His wife.
Thank you, Lord. Thank you for the losses and for the sores in this life. They make me appreciate the blessings so much more!
(Insert smiling face here)
