ACCEPTING GOD'S GIFTS
Job is a difficult book to deal with, considering its placement within scripture. Set right before the Psalms, where we sing of God’s care for the righteous and His judgment of the wicked, and the Proverbs, where wisdom and righteousness lead to blessedness, Job doesn’t make a whole lot of sense. We have a righteous man, surrounded by the blessings of God, and boasted of by God Himself as being a faithful servant, and what follows is the scene of a nightmare.
In seeking to understand this book, I try to put myself in Job’s position. He was not informed about what transpired in God’s throne room. He could not have begun to grasp the importance of this test, or how his faithfulness would glorify God. All he knew was that one day, he was righteous and everything was great, and then next day, he was righteous and everything dissolved before his eyes.
This year, many of us have experienced the shock of watching something fall apart, be it our health or the health of a loved one, a job that vanished, societal peace being replaced by chaos, or even our ability to fellowship with others, to name a few. Even still, most of us have never come close to the bad stretch that Job had, hearing that his children had all been killed, his earthly wealth had been carried off, and even his health turned to grotesque agony. This is why his response is so incredible. Where I might have appealed to God with cries of “it’s not fair!,” “What did I ever do to deserve this?!,” or “Where is your justice, God?,” instead Job maintains his trust in God’s goodness. He cries out, “the Lord gives, and the Lord takes away. Blessed be the name of the Lord.”
My challenge for us is this: How will we respond this year? The events of our world and our lives may get worse, and we may be left wondering if God cares for His people, if righteousness is worth it when we only get hardship in return, or if God is even in control. Much like Job’s wife, the world will tell us to “curse God and die.” Like Job the question we must answer is, “should we accept only good from God and not adversity?” We may never understand why God is allowing what is happening, but we can choose to remain faithful, and believe that even the most difficult days are a gift from God, because He is allowing us to be a part of glorifying His name in this world.
In seeking to understand this book, I try to put myself in Job’s position. He was not informed about what transpired in God’s throne room. He could not have begun to grasp the importance of this test, or how his faithfulness would glorify God. All he knew was that one day, he was righteous and everything was great, and then next day, he was righteous and everything dissolved before his eyes.
This year, many of us have experienced the shock of watching something fall apart, be it our health or the health of a loved one, a job that vanished, societal peace being replaced by chaos, or even our ability to fellowship with others, to name a few. Even still, most of us have never come close to the bad stretch that Job had, hearing that his children had all been killed, his earthly wealth had been carried off, and even his health turned to grotesque agony. This is why his response is so incredible. Where I might have appealed to God with cries of “it’s not fair!,” “What did I ever do to deserve this?!,” or “Where is your justice, God?,” instead Job maintains his trust in God’s goodness. He cries out, “the Lord gives, and the Lord takes away. Blessed be the name of the Lord.”
My challenge for us is this: How will we respond this year? The events of our world and our lives may get worse, and we may be left wondering if God cares for His people, if righteousness is worth it when we only get hardship in return, or if God is even in control. Much like Job’s wife, the world will tell us to “curse God and die.” Like Job the question we must answer is, “should we accept only good from God and not adversity?” We may never understand why God is allowing what is happening, but we can choose to remain faithful, and believe that even the most difficult days are a gift from God, because He is allowing us to be a part of glorifying His name in this world.
by Ben Urban
Posted in Read Through the Bible
Related Posts
Recent
Archive
2021
January
THE SIN OF WITHHOLDINGABRAM, THE MAN OF FAITH???HEEDING THE VOICE OF THE LORDA RELATIONSHIP OF FAITHNAMES ON A LISTREMEMBERAND THERE HE BLESSED HIM... Gen. 32:29GOD IS IN CONTROL AND WE CAN TRUST HIMROAD TO RECOVERYACCEPTING GOD'S GIFTSDOES YOUR 'BREATH' STINK?REMEMBER MY SERVANT JOBTHOUGHTS FROM JOBREAL CHRISTIANS NEVER APOLOGIZESECURE IN GOD'S HANDCOUNSELING "DON'T'S" FROM ELIHUTHE UNSEARCHABLE GREATNESS OF GOD
February
WE ARE A NEW CREATIONLORD, BE THE CENTERAS THE LORD HAS SAIDHARDENED HEARTSWHAT GOD HAS DONE FOR USJOY IN THE BELOVEDHAND-IN-HANDGIVE AS THE LORD PROMPTS YOUSACRIFICES AND OFFERINGSTHE DEATH OF NADAB AND ABIHUFLEE AND PURSUEHOLY LAMB OF GODAS A CHRISTIAN, DO THE COMMANDS IN LEVITICUS STILL APPLY TO ME TODAY?THE TITHE, HOLY TO THE LORD
2020
April
WORDS AND DEEDSAM I JUSTIFIED?A STATE OF CONSTANT READINESSPSALM 79 IS ABOUT ME AND YOU TOOFEELINGSTHE SLUGGARD AND THE DILIGENTTHE PHARISEE AND THE TAX COLLECTOR - WHICH ONE AM I?WHAT WEEDS ARE IN YOUR GARDEN?I ACCEPTGET A HEART OF WISDOMPANDEMIC PARALYSISDON'T HAVE TIME TO READ A BOOK? LISTEN TO AN AUDIOBOOK AND MULTI-TASK!GOD, OUR GODA CALL TO HOLINESS
May
LAMENT AND PRAISEINTIMACYREMEMBER THE LORDGOD'S PROVIDENCE IN RUTHHE BROUGHT HIS PEOPLE OUT WITH JOYTELL THE GOOD NEWSTHE TROUBLES OF OUR HEARTSTRUST IN THE FATHER'S GOOD PLANPRAY AND BLESSWHEN TRUSTING GOD IS THE ONLY OPTIONTO THOSE WHO WAIT UPON THE LORD...TO "SHEEP OR NOT TO SHEEP"TRUST IN THE LORDTHE MYSTERY OF THE SEEDA small thing that is a BIG DEAL!A CRAZY STATEMENTHAVE YOU TURNED THE LIGHT ON?
June
CROSSROADS IN MARRIAGETHE PURSUIT OF WISDOM LEADS TO LIFEIN THE NAME OF JESUS "WALK!"It is NOT PersonalARROWSREVEAL GOD TO THE WORLDMERCY AND RENEWED HOPEI DON'T UNDERSTANDHOW TO BE AN EVERYDAY MISSIONARYGIVE THANKS TO THE LORDFOOLS ARE STUPIDI LOVE YOUARISE O LORD!THE MOUNTAINS OF GODWHAT DO YOU WANT MORE?USE YOUR VOICE
July
GOD'S WORD - OUR TREASURECONTEMPTGOD HEARS US EVEN WHEN WE GROAN#23 PERSONAL TESTIMONYO LORD, OUR LORDSUCCESSFUL MARRIAGES ARE VICIOUSLY COMPETITIVETHE UNLIKELY GAME CHANGERCHASING THE WINDLAZY RIVER OR PRODUCTIVE BLVD: IT IS YOUR CHOICEGIVING FROM GOD'S SOURCEPSALM 17: THE ANTIDOTE TO FEARTHERE'S NOTHING NEW UNDER THE SINTHE WONDERFUL LOVE OF OUR HEAVENLY FATHERWHOEVER SAYS, 'YOU FOOL'MODEL JESUS LIFE FOR YOUR CHILDRENCHILDREN & STUDENT MINISTRIESLOVE ONE ANOTHER ROMANS 13:8POWER
August
LIGHT IN THE DARKNESSFROM WHERE THEN IS YOUR HOPE?WAIT ON THE LORDMY ROCK AND MY SHEPHERDBETTER THAN I DESERVEWELCOMEDID YOU WAKE UP SAD THIS MORNING?THE LORD'S PLANSMAKING IT CLEARMARRIAGE ISN'T THAT GREATANOTHER TIME AND ANOTHER PLACEEXCEEDING RIGHTEOUSNESSIt's ALL Your Fault!GOD'S DOWN PAYMENTTHE LIFE-GIVING AROMAWHAT HAVE YOU SEEN?
September
October
HE KEEPS US!TELL THEM!HOW DO YOU DESCRIBE YOUR CONVERSATION?ARE YOU ASLEEP?PRAYING WITH A LASER FOCUS ... I LIKE TO CALL IT "PRAY FIRST"NEEDED: CHURCH DOORKEEPERSGOD'S WARNINGSOPPOSITIONTHE THING ABOUT PROMISESBUILD THE WALL!SPIRITUAL BATTLEGENUINE FAITHCHRIST'S SELF-SACRIFICESAVED BY GRACEJESUS OUR REDEEMER
November
December
OUR MAJESTIC GODLOVE YOUR BROTHERA TREE AND ITS FRUITLORD, THANK YOU FOR CORRECTION!SLOW TO SPEAK AND SLOW TO ANGERTHE CRY FOR MERCY. THE CRY FOR FORGIVENESS.WHEN GOD BEGAN KILLING THEMDON'T WORSHIP DUMB STUFFGOD'S PATIENCE AND OUR HOPETHE DAY OF SALVATIONWHEN WILL THEY LEARN?WHAT IS WRONG WITH THEM?THE LOCKED DOOR OF THE VICTIMPRAISE TO THE LORDPRAISE GOD FOR 2020
No Comments