Texts: Job 2-3; John 6: 67-69; Haggai 2: 19: Hebrews 12: 26-28
Livelihood. Resources. Robbery. Fire. Murdered servants. The death of eighty-five percent of your immediate family (all ten of your children). Gone. On the same day. Wow. Imagine that.
Perhaps none of us will endure such tragedies, but experiencing one disappointment, traumatic event or loss immediately after another (or all at the same time!) is not uncommon. We live in a broken, fallen world which causes us to face countless catastrophes. Fellow pilgrim, I pray that you never have to experience any series of calamities. Seasons of compounded trouble have the potential to sap our energy, joy and hopefulness. It must have been traumatic to hear all that bad news. No time was allowed for Job to process the sad realities, or even consider how to recover even one loss. It must have been doubly disheartening to face more atrocities by the next day! Give Job a break!
As if enough pain had not been inflicted, on another day, the enemy accused Job before God; it must have lurked around Job to observe his reaction, because it noted his resilience and continued praise in spite of the pain. Job was unhappy, broken and weakened, but he still worshipped God. The enemy was still working overtime for Job to lose his faith, resulting in its sinister request from God to take Job’s good health.
During my current season of compounded calamities and opposition, I have (eventually) discovered that the frequency of attacks against everything that could be shaken, is proof that indeed no weapon formed against me will prosper. If the first day of disaster had destroyed Job’s faith, there would be no need for a second request to attack him! When the pain subsides (for some, it may never disappear), I pray you will get to the stage of thanksgiving that God must be pleased with you, if your relationship with Him, and His plans for you are such threats to the enemy. Newsflash! The enemy is intimidated by anyone who will use their gifts and relationship with God to damage its (temporary) kingdom.
Through compounded suffering, I’ve realised that the more effective your ministry will be in encouraging others to come to faith or grow in it, the greater the enemy’s attacks that are intended to discourage you. Do note that they CAN’T STOP YOU. If you disbelieve me, read the entire book of Job, and indeed other books of the Bible which detail the struggles of revered people of God. If you are surrounded by problems – perhaps experienced in rapid succession, remember that your soul and walk with God are so precious, that the enemy will do all it can to TRY to prevent God’s will for your life.
Despite the difficulties, hang on to God even if it is by a thin thread of hope. As Peter asked, in whom else will we find grace or eternal life? It is definitely NOT in the same enemy who is against us in the first place! Fellow pilgrims, life can be difficult and feel unfair. That is a fact. However, a superior fact is that when the enemy attacks, it is always within the boundaries God has set – He has the ultimate plan and will achieve it, even when He seems distant. Everything has to be shaken sometimes for us to thoroughly grasp the stability of faith in God and the truth that He is close to us, but also mysterious. Likewise, when we have the benefit of hindsight, we will see that God also uses times of trials to refine us. Whether you have already experienced immensely difficult seasons or you will experience them in the future, remember that the inevitability of suffering does not negate God’s ability to help us through it and get glory from it too. We know the outcome of Job’s period of traumas, but he was oblivious to it as he endured. Regardless of his limited knowledge, he still endured it, and we can endure too with God’s help. Hang on to hope – you never know what God is doing, or how close you are to a breakthrough. Ask Him questions like Job did and lament if you need to – He understands and will not use your ignorance f the future against you. If your suffering is so difficult that you find it hard to pray, talk to God for at least a minute today – He hears. I’m praying for you. More next week.
Heartfelt Prayer: Dear Lord, I’ve lost …….., ……… and ……… How will I cope? I could have perhaps managed better if I only lost……., but now I have to consider coping without…….. too! IT’S TOO MUCH TO BEAR! How could You have allowed this? Even though I presently can’t match these words with godly or appropriate feelings like Job, I will still declare that You are Lord, and You are worthy to be praised. Though there seems to be no hope or ‘seed in the barn’ I will praise You. Please help me through this day and night. Amen.
