Last year I had done a bible study with my pastor on the book of Job. Since then, Job has become my "go-to" guy when I feel that sometimes God just isn't fair sometimes. And the one thing I learned about it all is that it's ok to yell at God, to ask Him why, to rail and rage (However, "In your anger do not sin" Eph 4:26). God isn't going to ignore me. He's not going to get mad at me. And He certainly will not abandon me, even if I stray from Him. He will just wait patiently for my return.
And that's what this book is about. Sometimes when life throws us the unexpected curve ball, it leaves us wondering, where is God in all this? If He's such a great and mighty God, then why is He letting all this happen? Why do I need to keep going through this? Hello God.... remember me?!?
It's NORMAL, dear reader, to wonder where God is in all of this. It's our instinctual response to turmoil. It's ok to ask the hard questions, the ones that are deep in your brain but you are afraid to utter. He knows. Believe me, He knows. And while He may not feel like sharing why He is letting all this happen, He wants you to hold on to Him because He is at work in your life right now, even if you can't see it.
But, if we revisit my old friend Job, it wasn't God at all working in his life. God had made a bet with Satan. He would be allowed to do anything to Job EXCEPT to take his life. And that makes me wonder, if God allowed Satan to play around with Job's life, then how do we know that what we are struggling with, what we are burdened with, is not of God's doing but some other "lower" power? This has been a big question in my mind since doing that study. How do we know? We don't. And we probably never will. What we DO have to do is hold on to God for dear life. Sometimes I think that's why God allows these things to happen. To make us realize how much we really do need Him in our lives. To realize that without God we are nothing. If you're in doubt, look at John 15:5 (NIV) "I am the vine and you are the branches. If you remain in Me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing".
I've thought to myself that if all this turmoil is supposed to make me stronger, then I should have the strength of Atlas!! Seriously. Now, I do realize that there are others who are much worse off than me. I have been blessed with a roof over my head, food to eat, clothes to wear and job to go to. But how many times have I wondered, there's GOT to be something more than this. This is existing, not living. Maybe He is trying to teach me a lesson. One in humility and thankfulness. Because just as quickly He could take it all away, just like Job. In one fell swoop Job lost his family, his livestock, his farm, his health. BUT through his suffering he never abandoned his faith. Was he mad at God? You bet! Did he question God's motives? Absolutely! All his friends assured Job that surely, either he or his children had done something to displease God for Him to let all this happen.
Let's skip ahead to the end of the story.... in Job 38, Job got his answers. He got his answers in spades!! God went on to remind Job of all the great things He had done, and where was JOB in all of this? Oh, he got his butt handed to him on a silver platter. But that's ok. Job was humbled by God's responses. God, in His infinite wisdom, taught His child a lesson, the hard way. God basically tells Job to man up and take it like a man. You can dish it but can you take it? Can you even IMAGINE arguing with God?! Not me! Nuh uh. If we hang on till the end of the story, in the end of Job 42, God gives everything back to Job that he had lost, and then some. His doubting friends got a good "what for" from God for their idiocy, their lame excuses.
My point, dear reader, is that if you hold tight to your faith, hang onto God with your last fingernail, eventually peace will be restored. All that you have suffered through will be but a mere memory. I'm not suggesting that everything will have a happy ending. I'm not just quoting platitudes and scripture verses. You're probably sitting there saying to yourself "oh yeah, easy for you to say. You're not the one suffering". Yup. Gotcha. But know what? I am going through my own trials. They may not be what you are going through. I've had to deal with my share of trials and issues and things blowing up in my face. But in the midst of it all I haven't lost my faith. I may have questioned it. I may have had my doubts. I have even questioned it all. Yup. I am just like you. We all suffer in our ways.
So, take heart lovelies. There will be an end. There will be a light at the end of that dark tunnel (and no, it is not the one from the oncoming train! lol). Trust God. Let Him lead you through the desert. Through all the muck and mire. Ask Him the questions. Get mad! Cry out to Him. Yell and scream if that's what makes you feel better. But hang on for dear life and don't give up. And NEVER give up on God. He will see you through. I promise.
God Bless.
Linda
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