Just want to let the Word do the talking here! Here's 5 passages I have found so so helpful in times of suffering:
Psalm 90
Lord, you have been our dwelling place in all generations.
2 Before the mountains were brought forth,
or ever you had formed the earth and the world,
from everlasting to everlasting you are God.
3 You return man to dust
and say, “Return, O children of man!”
4 For a thousand years in your sight
are but as yesterday when it is past,
or as a watch in the night.
5 You sweep them away as with a flood; they are like a dream,
like grass that is renewed in the morning:
6 in the morning it flourishes and is renewed;
in the evening it fades and withers.
7 For we are brought to an end by your anger;
by your wrath we are dismayed.
8 You have set our iniquities before you,
our secret sins in the light of your presence.
9 For all our days pass away under your wrath;
we bring our years to an end like a sigh.
10 The years of our life are seventy,
or even by reason of strength eighty;
yet their span is but toil and trouble;
they are soon gone, and we fly away.
11 Who considers the power of your anger,
and your wrath according to the fear of you?
12 So teach us to number our days
that we may get a heart of wisdom.
13 Return, O Lord! How long?
Have pity on your servants!
14 Satisfy us in the morning with your steadfast love,
that we may rejoice and be glad all our days.
15 Make us glad for as many days as you have afflicted us,
and for as many years as we have seen evil.
16 Let your work be shown to your servants,
and your glorious power to their children.
17 Let the favour of the Lord our God be upon us,
and establish the work of our hands upon us;
yes, establish the work of our hands!
2 Corinthians 1
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. 5 For as we share abundantly in Christ's sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too. 6 If we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation; and if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which you experience when you patiently endure the same sufferings that we suffer. 7 Our hope for you is unshaken, for we know that as you share in our sufferings, you will also share in our comfort.
8 For we do not want you to be ignorant, brothers, of the affliction we experienced in Asia. For we were so utterly burdened beyond our strength that we despaired of life itself. 9 Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death. But that was to make us rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead. 10 He delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us. On him we have set our hope that he will deliver us again. 11 You also must help us by prayer, so that many will give thanks on our behalf for the blessing granted us through the prayers of many.
1 Peter 1
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, 5 who by God's power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. 6 In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, 7 so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honour at the revelation of Jesus Christ. 8 Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, 9 obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.
Romans 5
Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. 2 Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. 3 More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, 4 and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, 5 and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.
6 For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. 7 For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— 8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. 10 For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. 11 More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.
Romans 8
For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. 19 For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. 20 For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope 21 that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. 22 For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. 23 And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. 24 For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? 25 But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.
26 Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. 27 And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. 28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. 29 For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. 30 And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.
31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? 33 Who shall bring any charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies. 34 Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? 36 As it is written,
“For your sake we are being killed all the day long;
we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.”
37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Saturday, March 14, 2015
Friday, March 13, 2015
Job: God's response
The key to God's response to Job's questioning about his suffering is in the first sentence (notably, a question, of a series of questions):
The friends have accused Job of speaking without knowledge repeatedly (though they are guilty of the same offence), and Job's assertion of his blamelessness is based on his knowledge of his own situation. But the point is, Job doesn't have the knowledge to understand God's actions. The reader, via the prologue section where Satan is given permission to afflict Job, already has knowledge of Satan's testing of Job that he himself does not have. God's repeated questions to Job firstly reflect Job's questioning of God, and secondly draw Job's attention to all the things in the wider universe, beyond simply his own suffering, that he does not understand: from the foundations of the earth (38.4), the boundaries of the sea (38.8), the dawning of each day (38.12), the constellations (38.31), the calving of the does (39.1) and the callousness of the ostrich (39.13-18). The point is, there is so much going on in the world that we don't even consider, let alone affect or govern. Part of our sense of entitlement to know and understand now why suffering has come into our lives is rooted in our proud desire to be 'like God', just as Eve was tempted back in Genesis 3. But, just like the unfathomable details of creation, these things are beyond our knowledge - because we are not God!
Job has demanded justice from God, and complained that his righteous living should have protected him, but God shows him that he can't comprehend justice on a global scale: 'Look on everyone who is proud and bring him low... Then will I also acknowledge to you that your own right hand can save you.' (40.12-14) Job has to embrace his dependence on God, because then he will know the joy of salvation.
Job is humbled and awed by the Lord's revelation. He confesses and repents: 'I know that You can do all things, and that no purpose of Yours can be thwarted... Therefore I have uttered what I did not understand, things too wonderful for me; which I did not know.' (42.2-3)
The conclusion of the book shows that God gave Job 'twice as much as he had before' (42.10). His community is re-established as his three friends are humbled and need Job's mediation (ironically as they perhaps sought to be mediators for Job themselves). The ESV study Bible notes that Job ends up receiving comfort primarily through his matured relationship with the Lord. Job's comfort does not lie in getting the answers to his questions about his own suffering and the wider concept of justice, but in knowledge of God's character, the security that everything is in His hands.
'Who is this that darkens counsel by words without knowledge?' (38.2)
The friends have accused Job of speaking without knowledge repeatedly (though they are guilty of the same offence), and Job's assertion of his blamelessness is based on his knowledge of his own situation. But the point is, Job doesn't have the knowledge to understand God's actions. The reader, via the prologue section where Satan is given permission to afflict Job, already has knowledge of Satan's testing of Job that he himself does not have. God's repeated questions to Job firstly reflect Job's questioning of God, and secondly draw Job's attention to all the things in the wider universe, beyond simply his own suffering, that he does not understand: from the foundations of the earth (38.4), the boundaries of the sea (38.8), the dawning of each day (38.12), the constellations (38.31), the calving of the does (39.1) and the callousness of the ostrich (39.13-18). The point is, there is so much going on in the world that we don't even consider, let alone affect or govern. Part of our sense of entitlement to know and understand now why suffering has come into our lives is rooted in our proud desire to be 'like God', just as Eve was tempted back in Genesis 3. But, just like the unfathomable details of creation, these things are beyond our knowledge - because we are not God!
Job has demanded justice from God, and complained that his righteous living should have protected him, but God shows him that he can't comprehend justice on a global scale: 'Look on everyone who is proud and bring him low... Then will I also acknowledge to you that your own right hand can save you.' (40.12-14) Job has to embrace his dependence on God, because then he will know the joy of salvation.
Job is humbled and awed by the Lord's revelation. He confesses and repents: 'I know that You can do all things, and that no purpose of Yours can be thwarted... Therefore I have uttered what I did not understand, things too wonderful for me; which I did not know.' (42.2-3)
The conclusion of the book shows that God gave Job 'twice as much as he had before' (42.10). His community is re-established as his three friends are humbled and need Job's mediation (ironically as they perhaps sought to be mediators for Job themselves). The ESV study Bible notes that Job ends up receiving comfort primarily through his matured relationship with the Lord. Job's comfort does not lie in getting the answers to his questions about his own suffering and the wider concept of justice, but in knowledge of God's character, the security that everything is in His hands.
Thursday, March 12, 2015
Job: Elihu's role
As I was working through the book of Job, I was grappling with what the role of Elihu was meant to be (see chapters 32-37). Commentators seem reluctant to applaud his words to Job, as the book itself doesn't give much comment on whether they are right (though God's vindication of Job suggests Elihu is not 100% on the mark). However, he does bring a new dimension into the discussion, which so far has been about why God could bring such suffering on Job when in his own eyes he was blameless. Elihu feels that Job has become too self-preoccupied in his perspective on his own suffering, and he may well be correct in this. What profit has come from the long debate Job has been having with his friends? Certainly no peace.
Elihu's intervention reminds Job he is just a man, and 'God is greater than man' (33.12). Although Elihu perhaps misinterprets Job's words as him claiming to be sinless (which his making offerings would contradict), I think he does have a certain level of discernment and wisdom in his counsel. He says firstly that to Job's complaint he has no answer for his suffering, that God is speaking all the time and uses suffering to discipline man and remind him of his mortality (ch 33). He describes a man brought to the point of death and redeemed; his joy is therefore great (33.27-28). The suffering has worked good in his life by bringing him to a place of praise and gratitude. Given that Job doesn't die, but is later restored, this pattern plays out in his life and may show us some meaning behind it.
Elihu also gives some statements of truth which serve to remind Job -and the reader- of the core truths about God's character that suffering has made Job question: 'Of a truth, God will not do wickedly, and the Almighty will not pervert justice.' (34.12) He also reminds Job that God doesn't owe us anything -in fact, He could make everything perish if He wanted to, and it would be comparable to our own sense of right to knock down and rebuild our own house if we wanted to.
With his statement that 'His eyes are on the ways of a man, and He sees all his steps' (34.21), it reminds Job that God wasn't looking the other way when all this tragedy came upon him. This ties in with the beginning of the book where God brings Job to Satan's attention; He sees Job in his loyal faithfulness.
Elihu also points out (perhaps similarly to Eliphaz in 22.2-3) that God does not profit from Job's righteousness. 'If you are righteous, what do you give to Him? Or what does He receive from your hand?' (35.7)
In chapter 36 a host of lyrics from the Psalms are used to reinforce the central message: it is worth trusting God and serving Him because ultimately those who do not 'perish' and 'die without knowledge' (v12). For a man of God, his story is that of the Psalmist's: 'He also allured you out of distress into a broad place where there was no cramping, and what was set on your table was full of fatness.' (v16 - see Ps 4.1, 18.19, 31.8, 118.5, 23.5 and 36.8) As a side note, quite a few of the Psalms really sum up Job's journey and story such as Psalm 4 'You have given me relief when I was in distress. the Lord has set apart the godly for himself; the Lord hears when I call to him. Be angry, and do not sin... Offer right sacrifices,and put your trust in the Lord. There are many who say, “Who will show us some good? Lift up the light of your face upon us, O Lord!” You have put more joy in my heart than they have when their grain and wine abound.'
Elihu urges Job to remember that though he may be righteous, he is still just flesh. God is God! And so above us, beyond our comprehension in every way. I find these lessons helpful and instructive, even if Elihu isn't completely 100% accurate in his assessment of Job's situation.
Elihu's intervention reminds Job he is just a man, and 'God is greater than man' (33.12). Although Elihu perhaps misinterprets Job's words as him claiming to be sinless (which his making offerings would contradict), I think he does have a certain level of discernment and wisdom in his counsel. He says firstly that to Job's complaint he has no answer for his suffering, that God is speaking all the time and uses suffering to discipline man and remind him of his mortality (ch 33). He describes a man brought to the point of death and redeemed; his joy is therefore great (33.27-28). The suffering has worked good in his life by bringing him to a place of praise and gratitude. Given that Job doesn't die, but is later restored, this pattern plays out in his life and may show us some meaning behind it.
Elihu also gives some statements of truth which serve to remind Job -and the reader- of the core truths about God's character that suffering has made Job question: 'Of a truth, God will not do wickedly, and the Almighty will not pervert justice.' (34.12) He also reminds Job that God doesn't owe us anything -in fact, He could make everything perish if He wanted to, and it would be comparable to our own sense of right to knock down and rebuild our own house if we wanted to.
With his statement that 'His eyes are on the ways of a man, and He sees all his steps' (34.21), it reminds Job that God wasn't looking the other way when all this tragedy came upon him. This ties in with the beginning of the book where God brings Job to Satan's attention; He sees Job in his loyal faithfulness.
Elihu also points out (perhaps similarly to Eliphaz in 22.2-3) that God does not profit from Job's righteousness. 'If you are righteous, what do you give to Him? Or what does He receive from your hand?' (35.7)
In chapter 36 a host of lyrics from the Psalms are used to reinforce the central message: it is worth trusting God and serving Him because ultimately those who do not 'perish' and 'die without knowledge' (v12). For a man of God, his story is that of the Psalmist's: 'He also allured you out of distress into a broad place where there was no cramping, and what was set on your table was full of fatness.' (v16 - see Ps 4.1, 18.19, 31.8, 118.5, 23.5 and 36.8) As a side note, quite a few of the Psalms really sum up Job's journey and story such as Psalm 4 'You have given me relief when I was in distress. the Lord has set apart the godly for himself; the Lord hears when I call to him. Be angry, and do not sin... Offer right sacrifices,and put your trust in the Lord. There are many who say, “Who will show us some good? Lift up the light of your face upon us, O Lord!” You have put more joy in my heart than they have when their grain and wine abound.'
Elihu urges Job to remember that though he may be righteous, he is still just flesh. God is God! And so above us, beyond our comprehension in every way. I find these lessons helpful and instructive, even if Elihu isn't completely 100% accurate in his assessment of Job's situation.
'Behold, God is great, and we know him not;
the number of his years is unsearchable.' (36.26 - see Ps 90.2, 102.27)
'The Almighty—we cannot find him;
he is great in power;
justice and abundant righteousness he will not violate.' (37.23 - see Ps 99.4)
Wednesday, March 11, 2015
Job: seeing Christ as the answer
Ultimately, Job's suffering is only given an answer with the meaningful suffering of Jesus Christ and His resurrection.
Job is brought to the point where he realises the 'otherness' of God. He understands something of the divine mystery, and he feels keenly the gap between him and his Creator.
Job needs a mediator, and so do we. The Bible clearly tells us that we find the mediator we need in Jesus Christ:
In a stunning glimpse of gospel-clarity, Job sees that resurrection is needed to solve the mystery of suffering: 'For I know that my Redeemer lives, and at the last He will stand upon the earth.' (Job 19:25)
Only God has power of death (Job 38:17). Christ's victory over Satan will ultimately answer all the human frustrations of suffering and injustice. Redemption in Christ gives a final answer to Satan's accusations by justifying the ungodly (Rom 4:5).
We have only ever known this world to be full of suffering and death since Adam fell; Jesus offers the only solution to our fallen human condition. In sending Jesus, God wasn't pressing the 'pause' or even the 'stop' button on the world's suffering; He was entering into it Himself to deliver us eternally. The rest of our earthly life will continue to be marked with suffering as part of our mortality, but we can be made right before God through Jesus Christ and spend an eternity in His perfect new creation where there will be no more tears (Rev 21).
Jesus is not only our mediator, but our friend. He is acquainted with sorrow (Isa 53:3), and He gets how we feel, and He is not lacking in compassion for us:
His nail-marked hands hold ours as we walk through life with all its shadows and pain. Each step takes us closer to seeing Him face to face in an eternity without suffering.
Job is brought to the point where he realises the 'otherness' of God. He understands something of the divine mystery, and he feels keenly the gap between him and his Creator.
'For He is not a man, as I am, that I might answer Him, that we should come to trial together. There is no arbiter between us.' (Job 9:32-33a)
Job needs a mediator, and so do we. The Bible clearly tells us that we find the mediator we need in Jesus Christ:
'For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus' (1 Tim 2:5).It is a wonderful thing; Jesus makes the sacrifice once and for all for sins (Hebrews 10). He died for the sins of the whole world (1 Jn 2:2) and made the propitiation that no one else could. Think about it: if Job, even Job, with all his righteousness, had died on the cross, what would have happened? Would the sky have turned dark and rocks split open and the dead been raised? No. There would have been no atonement, and no resurrection. Only Jesus could fulfil this role uniquely as the mediator because He was both God and man, and in sinless perfection, He could bring us to His Father.
In a stunning glimpse of gospel-clarity, Job sees that resurrection is needed to solve the mystery of suffering: 'For I know that my Redeemer lives, and at the last He will stand upon the earth.' (Job 19:25)
Only God has power of death (Job 38:17). Christ's victory over Satan will ultimately answer all the human frustrations of suffering and injustice. Redemption in Christ gives a final answer to Satan's accusations by justifying the ungodly (Rom 4:5).
'He is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them... He did this (offered sacrifice) once for all when He offered up Himself.' (Heb 7:25-27)
'For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive.' (1 Cor 15:22)
We have only ever known this world to be full of suffering and death since Adam fell; Jesus offers the only solution to our fallen human condition. In sending Jesus, God wasn't pressing the 'pause' or even the 'stop' button on the world's suffering; He was entering into it Himself to deliver us eternally. The rest of our earthly life will continue to be marked with suffering as part of our mortality, but we can be made right before God through Jesus Christ and spend an eternity in His perfect new creation where there will be no more tears (Rev 21).
Jesus is not only our mediator, but our friend. He is acquainted with sorrow (Isa 53:3), and He gets how we feel, and He is not lacking in compassion for us:
'For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.' (Heb 4:15-16)
His nail-marked hands hold ours as we walk through life with all its shadows and pain. Each step takes us closer to seeing Him face to face in an eternity without suffering.
Monday, March 9, 2015
Job: finding the end of yourself
God seems to use suffering in our lives to make us see the limits of our own strength. Look at Job: he was a righteous and wealthy man. But the danger of this is that you can too easily trust in your own resources and character as a protection from trouble. Job discovered his righteousness did not bring him immunity from suffering, and this is the big theological problem of the book: Job's friends reason (and with good Scriptural foundation) that God is just and will bless the righteous, therefore Job must have sinned to bring about this calamity. The reader -and Job- knows this is not the case, and yet how could God still bring about this suffering?
In a good sense, Job's friends' knowledge of the truth (that God is good and will punish the wicked) gives reassurance in the topsy-turvy time of trial that the righteous will be blessed and the wicked will be cut off. But their understanding is limited, and their theology doesn't have room for innocent suffering, ultimately experienced in the cross of Jesus.
However, even though Job is right in speaking of himself as innocent before God, he still needs to acknowledge God's right to be God. God doesn't owe us anything. The things Job has lost were gifts in the first place. Even in our piety, we can't save ourselves; we need a mediator. Job needed to realise that his sacrifices weren't enough; he couldn't make his own atonement, let alone for others. His suffering drives him to realise his own neediness, as he says 'Do I have any power to help myself, now that success has been driven from me?' (Job 6:13).
When God does something we don't understand, the temptation is to give up on the divine plan and see God as a human adversary who doesn't do things logically or rationally (see the imagery in Job 16). In suffering, you are forced to see the 'otherness' of God. You understand more that you don't understand Him. God is just, but His justice is deeper than straightforward rewards and punishments in this life.
'My days have passed, my plans are shattered, and so are the desires of my heart' (Job 17:11).
Job reaches the end of himself, but then begins a journey to seeing the hope of resurrection.
In a good sense, Job's friends' knowledge of the truth (that God is good and will punish the wicked) gives reassurance in the topsy-turvy time of trial that the righteous will be blessed and the wicked will be cut off. But their understanding is limited, and their theology doesn't have room for innocent suffering, ultimately experienced in the cross of Jesus.
However, even though Job is right in speaking of himself as innocent before God, he still needs to acknowledge God's right to be God. God doesn't owe us anything. The things Job has lost were gifts in the first place. Even in our piety, we can't save ourselves; we need a mediator. Job needed to realise that his sacrifices weren't enough; he couldn't make his own atonement, let alone for others. His suffering drives him to realise his own neediness, as he says 'Do I have any power to help myself, now that success has been driven from me?' (Job 6:13).
When God does something we don't understand, the temptation is to give up on the divine plan and see God as a human adversary who doesn't do things logically or rationally (see the imagery in Job 16). In suffering, you are forced to see the 'otherness' of God. You understand more that you don't understand Him. God is just, but His justice is deeper than straightforward rewards and punishments in this life.
'My days have passed, my plans are shattered, and so are the desires of my heart' (Job 17:11).
Job reaches the end of himself, but then begins a journey to seeing the hope of resurrection.
Sunday, March 8, 2015
Job: the voice of grief
This year one of my resolutions was to work through the topic of grief and how to deal with it from a biblical perspective. It's been a journey! And I started with Job because it's a pretty good place to start when thinking about the Old Testament stories of grief. He loses almost everything he has, from his children to his possessions to his health (see Job 1-2). But he finds his way to the place of praise: “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return. The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD.” (Job 1:21)
It's hard to worship God through suffering - this is why Job is tested in this way. He does worship, but not without questioning, as the book continues. It's not an easy journey for him.
As you read through Job's speeches, you get a real sense of what I call the 'voice of grief'. These are words which reflect the sense you get when you're grieving that you'll never be happy again. Read Job 7:
'Has not man a hard service on earth,
and are not his days like the days of a hired hand?
Like a slave who longs for the shadow,
and like a hired hand who looks for his wages,
so I am allotted months of emptiness,
and nights of misery are apportioned to me.
When I lie down I say, ‘When shall I arise?’
But the night is long,
and I am full of tossing till the dawn.
My flesh is clothed with worms and dirt;
my skin hardens, then breaks out afresh.
My days are swifter than a weaver’s shuttle
and come to their end without hope.
“Remember that my life is a breath;
my eye will never again see good.' (v1-7)
I love the way that Scripture gives us an honest depiction of gut-wrenching grief here. This sense of everything being empty, and a restless frustration, is perhaps a necessary part of the all-consuming stage of grief. However, these ideas can become lies the enemy uses to keep you in despair. When tragedy occurs, Satan sees an opportunity to bring people into bondage. Endings always bring new beginnings, but Satan strives to keep us out of the new place God has prepared by keeping us in the past. It's too easy, in your hurt, to question God and let this become a barrier. We can start to think God isn't good and can't be trusted. But James 1:17 affirms that God is good and He can't be anything else. We don't have answers -we know 'in part' (1 Cor 13:12)- and trust will always require us to accept unanswered questions. (See Joyce Meyer's teaching 'Overcoming Grief' here).
It's hard to worship God through suffering - this is why Job is tested in this way. He does worship, but not without questioning, as the book continues. It's not an easy journey for him.
As you read through Job's speeches, you get a real sense of what I call the 'voice of grief'. These are words which reflect the sense you get when you're grieving that you'll never be happy again. Read Job 7:
'Has not man a hard service on earth,
and are not his days like the days of a hired hand?
Like a slave who longs for the shadow,
and like a hired hand who looks for his wages,
so I am allotted months of emptiness,
and nights of misery are apportioned to me.
When I lie down I say, ‘When shall I arise?’
But the night is long,
and I am full of tossing till the dawn.
My flesh is clothed with worms and dirt;
my skin hardens, then breaks out afresh.
My days are swifter than a weaver’s shuttle
and come to their end without hope.
“Remember that my life is a breath;
my eye will never again see good.' (v1-7)
I love the way that Scripture gives us an honest depiction of gut-wrenching grief here. This sense of everything being empty, and a restless frustration, is perhaps a necessary part of the all-consuming stage of grief. However, these ideas can become lies the enemy uses to keep you in despair. When tragedy occurs, Satan sees an opportunity to bring people into bondage. Endings always bring new beginnings, but Satan strives to keep us out of the new place God has prepared by keeping us in the past. It's too easy, in your hurt, to question God and let this become a barrier. We can start to think God isn't good and can't be trusted. But James 1:17 affirms that God is good and He can't be anything else. We don't have answers -we know 'in part' (1 Cor 13:12)- and trust will always require us to accept unanswered questions. (See Joyce Meyer's teaching 'Overcoming Grief' here).
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