Trusting God When Things Go Wrong

When Satan came before God, God held up Job as an example of a man who truly loved and served Him. What a compliment that would be! Perhaps you know what it was like to be held up as an example of productivity at work or of success in some other setting. The difference here is that it was God saying that Job was righteous and true to Him. But Satan objected to God’s mention of Job; he pointed out that Job had been greatly blessed and argued that Job was only out for the good things serving God brought him. And so, God allowed Satan to take away all that Job had. But, as you know from the book of Job, Job still remained faithful and trusted God just as much in bad times as he had done when things were going well.

The faith that only works in times of abundance, success, and blessing is not a real and grounded faith. While God loves us and wants the best for us, there are many times when what He knows we need conflicts with what we would choose. I came across this prayer of submission to God’s will: “Lord, I am willing to receive what you give; to lack what you withhold; to relinquish what you take; to suffer what you inflict; to be what you require. And, Lord, if others are to be your messengers to me, I am willing to hear and heed what they have to say. Amen.”

The God who knows when a single sparrow falls to the ground and loves us as His children is not blind to our hurts, and His grace is always sufficient.

Growth Principle:

If we only believe God is at work when things are going well, our faith will not withstand the storms of life.