Published 7/31/19
Read Job 5:20-27
"In famine he will redeem you from death, and in war from the power of the sword. You shall be hidden from the lash of the tongue, and shall not fear destruction when it comes. At destruction and famine you shall laugh, and shall not fear the beasts of the earth. For you shall be in league with the stones of the field, and the beasts of the field shall be at peace with you. You shall know that your tent is at peace, and you shall inspect your fold and miss nothing. You shall know also that your offspring shall be many, and your descendants as the grass of the earth. You shall come to your grave in ripe old age, like a sheaf gathered up in its season. Behold, this we have searched out; it is true. Hear, and know it for your good."
Reflect
· Do you get mad at God during difficult times?
· Seek out the stories in the Bible about good people who have been wronged. Learn from their successes and mistakes. How can this exercise help you?
· Do you accept that we live in a broken world? Do you quickly remember that God is bigger than it all?
Job was in a terrible mess. Anyone who has read this book in the Bible is easily overwhelmed by the ridiculous amount of pain and suffering he endured. He was not an evil man. He wasn't opposing God and His ways. He did not persecute God's people or try to lead them down the wrong path. He was a good man. He loved and feared God. He was fair and treated his family well. So why did God allow him to suffer? This was the exact question Job was asking. He was searching for a logical reason why his life had turned out so badly. He questioned God. And his friends weren't much help.
They were trying to convince Job that he was in the wrong and must have brought this pain on himself. Job kept explaining that he had not sinned against God. But he went too far. We all know that every human is broken and has sinned. Job was not without blame. But did he really deserve to lose everything?
It's amazing how God chose to make every human unique. As long as you live, there will never be another you. But at the same time, we all have things in common. We were all created by a powerful God. We share a life together here on this earth. We have all sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. And He offers forgiveness and salvation to each one of us. Changes come quickly sometimes. An accident takes the life of a loved one. A routine visit to the doctor brings bad news. You get called into a meeting at work to find out your position has been eliminated and you are suddenly unemployed. Or a big storm hits town and your house is greatly damaged. These things are out of our control. And we are all susceptible to them at any moment.
But even in our darkest hour, God still loves us. He is continually reaching out His hand, offering us redemption and peace. Just like Job, we tend to lash out at God, claiming that we are being treated unfairly. We list all of the things we do correctly in an attempt to convince Him that He has wronged us. We try to make God fit into our understanding of life. But we need to understand that He does not enjoy our pain. He is the One who is reaching out trying to comfort us during those horrible days. Stop trying to keep score. Instead, praise God in the midst of the pain. Admit that you need the Savior and open yourself up to God's guidance and peace.
Pray
Lord, thank You for knowing my every thought and action and for loving me anyway. Please help me to recognize the freedom and peace that You are offering me. Help me to have the courage to accept Your redemption. Thank You! Amen.