Then Job arose and tore his robe and shaved his head, and he fell to the ground and worshiped. He said, "Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked I shall return there. The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away. Blessed be the name of the LORD." Through all this Job did not sin nor charge God with wrong. (Job 1:20-22)Well, he was upset. He "tore his robe and shaved his head." But did you get what he did next? He "worshiped". Really?? The chapter ends with the astounding claim, "Through all this Job did not sin or charge God with wrong." Seriously?
Who among us would be with Job on this? I've seen a lot of people endure a lot of things in my life. Accidents, injuries, deaths of loved ones, cancer, sickness, financial, social, and other loss. Lots of stuff. I have to say that the most common response has not been worship or "Blessed be the name of the LORD." I've heard a lot of "Why, God?" And that's not necessarily bad. I'm not suggesting it is. If you read through the book of Job, he eventually asks the question himself (Job 31:35). That's not a problem. But how many of us are going to say, "Shall we indeed accept good from God and not accept adversity?" (Job 2:10)?
What does it take to get there? I ask because clearly we're mostly not and clearly we should be. What does it take to accept adversity from the hand of God -- serious trials -- and say, "Blessed be the name of the LORD"? I would suggest it takes a renewed mind (Rom 12:2). I would think it would take confidence in the Sovereign Lord. Perhaps we have -- I have -- a ways to go on that. "I do believe; help my unbelief." (Mark 9:24)
7 comments:
For many the question arises? do i have enough faith to go thru these trials? perhaps it's the other way around. it is the trials that help us grow in faith. Are we to assume that Job had all the faith that was required to endure his trials, before they arrived? It seems that if we are to have great faith, then we must suffer great difficulties , so that we would trust God more and more. even now as i write this, i feel somewhat foolish. i too have tasted the loss and suffered many stripes, and yet my faith could use a lot of improvement. i never feel as though i have arrived to the place of great faith. it is so easy to just write about the soothing waters, but so hard to experience the fire that purges. i think ill just be still now... and what is with the Robot asking me to prove that i am Not a Robot???
I think you're right about faith and trials. James says that trials provide "the testing of your faith" and that testing produces endurance and that endurance produces perfection (James 1:2-4). It is the trials in life that God uses to strengthen faith to produce a higher quality follower of Christ.
Hey, where's the "I AM a robot" button?
Wait a minute, are you saying that a good and loving God allows bad things to happen to us, and that those things are really good?
No, don't be silly. I'm saying He sometimes causes bad things to happen to us, too. :)
But, why would a God who is good, loving, and gracious cause bad things to those who follow Him. Wouldn’t that make Him bad?
Yes, I suppose, as long as you define "bad" as "When I'm not happy about it." Like most of the world.
Yes, Craig, I got the tone. Objections worth answering.
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