Tough Job

I know that my Redeemer lives, and that in the end he will stand upon the earth. Job 19:25

Boils, bankruptcy, bereavement. What kept Job going? Even his wife had lost faith, ‘Are you still holding on to your integrity? Curse God and die!’ (Job 2:9). In a word, yes, he was. Job demonstrates a grit, determination and trust in God unparalleled in the rest of the Old Testament.

Was Job cold-hearted, to be able to struggle on when his family were killed? Not a bit. (flip to Job 1:20) Instead, Job knew that God was God, He was good, faithful, and powerful, and even if he didn’t know exactly what was going on, no worldly thing was going to distract him from that. Even when his world was crumbling down around him.

“I came naked from my mother’s womb, and I will be naked when I leave. The LORD gave me what I had, and the LORD has taken it away. Praise the name of the LORD!” (Job 1:21) Wow. THAT’s real God-perspective.

Praising God when the sun’s shining is OK, but choosing to do it when your world is falling apart demonstrates Job-like trust. Even when it looked like God had walked away, gone on holiday and turned off the phone, Job chose God, ‘I know my Liberator’s out there, somewhere. I know it. Someday he’ll turn up. I don’t know what state I’ll be in by then, but I know I’ll see God. I will: I know’ (Job 19:25-26) Job didn’t have a fake smile fixed to his face, but deep in his heart, he chose to trust God. More importantly, God chose Job! And God never let Job go. He won’t let you go either. Count on Him!

Prayer

Heavenly Father, when things around me are falling apart, keep me focused and trusting in You, that in the midst of all this You continue to love me and help me through. In Jesus’ Name, Amen