Job. You know… the man from the bible… Not job, as in the place
you go to make money. Just thought I should clarify that.
For those of you unfamiliar with the story of Job, I will
give you a brief overview, but I highly encourage you to read the story for
yourself.
Anyway, Job was a man who followed the Lord whole-heartedly.
One day, Satan came to God and said, “If Job wasn’t wealthy and didn’t have a
great family, he would curse your name.” God disagreed, having faith that Job
would continue to praise Him despite hardship, so God allowed Satan to bring
trials upon him. Within the course of about an hour, all of Job’s servants,
livestock, and family members were killed and painful sores broke out across
his body.
All the while, Job remained faithful.
Earlier in the race, one of my teammates transformed the way
I read Job. She had experienced a lot of hardship growing up and she looked at
herself as a modern day Job. She had a vision of Satan going to God and saying,
“I’m going to inflict this type of pain on someone.” God responded with “Do it
to this daughter, she can handle it, and she will praise me regardless.”
This morning, another teammate was expressing frustration
over the amount of brokenness she’s walked through on the race. She asked,
“God, where are you? Why are you not answering my prayers?” Immediately, I
thought of Job, and how he cried out to God with the same sentiments.
As I counseled her to read Job, we began to discuss how Job
was not the only Job. He was simply a good example of a person who has walked
through many trials and has come out praising God in the end. History is
littered with Jobs, many of whom I’ve had the privilege to meet on the World
Race.
There are teenagers in Central America who lost both
parents, grew up on the streets, and have been continually beat to the curb.
There are women in Africa, where malaria and typhoid run rampant, who are
widowed with ten children to support. There are orphaned toddlers in Asia
running through the streets naked, covered in sores, forced to beg for money to
stay alive. I have friends in America who have suffered rape, sexual abuse,
death, depression, and sickness.
Everywhere I look, there is another Job. But despite
oppression, despite sickness and death, despite poverty, many of these men and
women continue praising God.
So what is my point in all of this? I’m not entirely sure.
It’s mostly just thoughts that I’m processing, but if I had to end on a point
it would be this: if you feel that you are suffering, and that God is
delivering blow after blow, be
encouraged. Read Job. Know that is
it NOT God that brings suffering, but God will always use it to bring His Glory.
Maybe God is simply
saying, “My precious child, you are strong, I know you love me, and I know you
will praise me despite circumstance. If you will simply press on and lean on
me, I will be able to use this trial to significantly impact the kingdom.”
Because the part of Job’s story I have yet to share is that
God remained faithful to Job. In the end, he blessed him with a new family, new
workers, and more money and livestock than he’d ever had in the past. But more
importantly, God used Job’s story to impact millions of people throughout time
and space. And God will use whatever you
are going through for good. He will bring you to a place of healing. He will
bless you. And through you, He will impact His kingdom.
Then read my favorite verse from Psalms 27:13-14, “I
remain confident of this: I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of
the living. Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.”
