November 16: Thoughts on Job 1:13-22

"One day when Job's sons and daughters were feasting and drinking wine at the oldest brother's house, a messenger came to Job and said, "The oxen were plowing and the donkeys were grazing nearby, and the Sabeans attacked and carried them off. They put the servants to the sword, and I am the only one who has escaped to tell you!" While he was still speaking, another messenger came and said, "The fire of God fell from the sky and burned up the sheep and the servants, and I am the only one who has escaped to tell you!" While he was still speaking, another messenger came and said, "The Chaldeans formed three raiding parties and swept down on your camels and carried them off. They put the servants to the sword, and I am the only one who has escaped to tell you!" While he was still speaking, yet another messenger came and said, "Your sons and daughters were feasting and drinking wine at the oldest brother's house, when suddenly a mighty wind swept in from the desert and struck the four corners of the house. It collapsed on them and they are dead, and I am the only one who has escaped to tell you!"

At this, Job got up and tore his robe and shaved his head. Then he fell to the ground in worship and said: "Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked I will depart. The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away; may the name of the LORD be praised."

In all this, Job did not sin by charging God with wrongdoing."
~Job 1:13-22

The basic story of Job is this: God and Satan were having a chat one day, and God pointed out Job, saying, "Hey, Satan, have you seen my servant Job? He's really great – he's righteous, he respects me, and he stays away from evil things." Satan responds, "Well, yeah, but you've given him everything. You've blessed him. Of course he loves you! But watch – if you withdraw your blessing from Job, he'll turn his back on you, I guarantee it." God then gave Satan permission to do anything to Job that he wanted, in order to prove Job's loyalty.

Satan immediately started his attacks. Job's servants, sheep, camels are harmed. Job reacts pretty well to these. After all, they are just material possessions. Then, the worst of all, Job finds out that all his children have died at the same time. Job is pretty upset about this, so he gets up and shaves his head and tears his robe (these are considered signs of mourning). He mourns. We all understand that, right? Who wouldn't be sad? But what's amazing is what Job does next. He falls to the ground in worship of God and essentially says, "Well, I didn't come into this world with anything and I'm not taking any of it with me. God gives. God takes away. Either way, blessed be the name of the Lord (NIV reads "may the name of the LORD be praised)."

When we're grieving, so often we want to be angry with God. I will confess to a little bit of that today. Like Job, I'm mourning the loss of a child. I was pregnant, but we lost the baby in April. Tomorrow was my due date. It's sort of painful to think about how if everything had been all right, I would have been holding a baby in my arms tomorrow. It's easy to blame God or to question Him, and to ask why God allows things to happen to us (and Job does that later, too, and the Bible says Job didn't sin with his lips, so it's not wrong to do that). But what's startling to me is that in the midst of his grief, Job was able to have such great perspective.

Job was a man who saw the big picture. He understood that we're not entitled to anything. We didn't come into this world with anything, and we're not taking anything of it out. God blesses us, and sometimes, God takes things away from us. That doesn't change the unchangeable, though: God is worthy of our praise! And Job was able to see that, and perhaps even praise God for what was happening to him, because he knew, as a servant of God, that the Lord works all things together for those that love Him, even though that Scripture wasn't written yet. Job didn't know his future, he didn't know that God intended to restore everything back to him. He didn't know any of it, but he didn't have to. Why? Because he knew God. He knew that God's basic character is one of goodness and fairness. He trusted that God's ways were higher than his own ways, that God knew better than he did. And shouldn't we all?

I don't know when I'll get to a place of spiritual maturity where I'm able to kneel down in the ashes of my pain and say, "Either way, praise God!" But maybe someday, I'll even be able to praise God for my pain, not just in the midst of it, but actually praise Him for my pain , because I'll finally understand that all things really do happen for a reason and that He's really, truly in control. He knows the big picture. He has the end in mind. He only means good for His people. He has plans to prosper and not to harm us. He's wonderful. He's the Creator of the universe, and thus He's entitled to do whatever He wants however He wants. In my head, I know all these things. I confess they are somewhat harder on my heart.

It's easy to praise God when things are going well, but when things are rough, it's hard to praise Him sometimes. Still, we are supposed to continually offer God a sacrifice of praise (Hebrews 13:15; Psalm 34:1). That doesn't mean just when times are good. We're still supposed to praise God, even when praise is a sacrifice, even when praising God hurts or costs us something. God, who is the same yesterday, today, and forever, is equally entitled to our praise yesterday, today, and forever. No matter what we go through, God always was and always will be worthy of our praise, even when it's somewhat hard to offer it.

Today, for me, I'm not ashamed to admit that praising God is a sacrifice. Still, I will agree with Job: "Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked I will depart. The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised."

November 14: Thoughts on Hebrews 12:7-11

"Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father? If you are not disciplined (and everyone undergoes discipline), then you are illegitimate children and not true sons. Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of our spirits and live! Our fathers disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness. No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it."
~Hebrews 12:7-11

Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father?

As Christians, we've been given the power to become sons and daughters of God (John 1:12). God is our Heavenly Father, and as such, He deals with us as His children. Earthly fathers love and provide for their children. They also discipline their children and teach them. The same is true with our Heavenly Father. Though He loves us and provides for our needs, He also disciplines us to make us stronger in the faith and in righteousness.

If you are not disciplined (and everyone undergoes discipline), then you are illegitimate children and not true sons.

What is an illegitimate child? It is a child without a father. So if we aren't being disciplined (enduring hardship) for God, we need to consider whether or not we're actually children of the Heavenly Father (i.e. whether we are actually Christians). The Bible doesn't tell us that when we come to Jesus, all will be well and our lives are perfect from then on out. On the contrary, we're told that once we become Christians, we will go through two types of hardship attacks of the Enemy and discipline from God.

Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of our spirits and live! Our fathers disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness.

While we might not have seen it at the time, I think we've all come to a place as young adults where we understand that our earthly parents disciplined us because they loved us, and that their discipline has helped shape us into the people we are today. Just as we've come to understand our parents a little better, after we get through the times of trial in our lives, we tend to be able to look back and see what God was doing with us better than we do when we're in the middle of it. It's hard to recognize that sometimes the Lord is the author of our hardship, but we have to accept that as the Creator of all, He knows better than we do.

No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.

Right now, what you're going through might seem very painful. It might seem that life is not fair, and you might be tempted to ask God why He is allowing things to happen to you. But try not to. Know that God is righteous, and He is just, and He is good. Know that because He wants you to share in His holiness, you will be tried and face hardship, but the good news is that you'll come out of your trials with a harvest of righteousness and peace.

When you're facing hardship, instead of grumbling at God for the bad things in your life, rejoice instead that God loves you enough to deal with you as His son or daughter!