28. Job

Those of you who know me well will also know how much I detest twee phrases, especially Christian twee phrases. A mate messaged me the other day with “…just be a beacon for Jesus”! And whilst I agree with the sentiment behind it, it just feels so clichéd. One such phrase could be “God is good, all the time!” and yet when it comes to the book of Job this surely is its strongest message. 

When suffering comes, we are going to need to know that God is good ALL THE TIME.  

Job really did have it tough, he literally lost everything. Yet, even with all that suffering he never lost his faith, he never blamed God, but he did ask questions. 

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Idea 1: Nothing is beyond God’s control I must confess that when I think about nothing being beyond God’s control, I tend to find that to be a comforting thought. It means that I can trust God and that nothing can happen to me if God doesn’t give it the green light.

Then comes the question of suffering?

The opening verses in the book of Job are relatively disturbing. Satan comes to present himself to God and he questions the integrity of Job’s commitment to him. God is pretty chuffed with Job and has confidence in his character. What then follows is this weird bargaining between God and Satan which results in the horrendous suffering of Job.

So I go back to my opening statement that nothing is beyond God’s control, and I realise that for Satan to hurt any one of us, he first needs permission. That permission can only come in one of two ways:

1. God permits our suffering for some higher purpose, though he definitely controls how far that suffering can go (Job 1:12).
2. When we choose to ally our hearts with sin, then we give the enemy a foothold in our life and this invariably leads to some form of suffering (Ephesians 4:26-27).

The only way to avoid that second point is to live our lives totally gripped by Jesus and focussed on him. Even Jesus faced this challenge in his life on earth: "I will not say much more to you, for the prince of this world is coming. He has no hold over me, but he comes so that the world may learn that I love the Father and do exactly what my Father has commanded me.” (John 14:30-31) 

That said, Job’s friends thought all suffering was due to sin, and this is clearly not true. The vast majority of our suffering is due to living in a very broken world.

•  Have you found it difficult to trust God when things are not going well?

•  Have you made a habit of letting the sun go down on unresolved issues? If so, has that made your life harder than it needs to be?

Idea 2: Blaming God never makes it easier I don’t know about you but I certainly depend on the support of my family. Some of the best advice that I have received over the years has come from my wife. So, I find it very interesting to hear Job’s wife’s advice to him: "Are you still maintaining your integrity? Curse God and die!”

I am pretty sure that Job’s wife was destitute when she said that, so I am not going to be too hard on her. She had lost everything too, and you know how hard it is, particularly for mothers, to lose a child let alone all of their children. But getting bitter and blaming God can only make the situation worse.

For a number years, my wife and I were trying to start a family and it just was not happening. Every month, with my wife’s cycle, she experienced a form of bereavement. It was so hard for her to not be bitter, and sometimes we did get pretty close. However, these are the moments when our faith is tested, maxed out and we really need to know that God is good all the time.

•  Has life been tough for you of late? Have you been tempted to blame God for the tough times?

•  Take a moment to meditate on Hebrews 12:11 - what might God be trying to achieve in your life during these tough seasons?

Idea 3: God always makes it up to those who wait on him My favourite verses in the whole book of Job are: 

"I know that my redeemer lives,

    and that in the end he will stand on the earth.

 And after my skin has been destroyed,

    yet in my flesh I will see God;

I myself will see him

    with my own eyes—I, and not another.

    How my heart yearns within me!”

There are many ways that God made it up to Job, just read chapter 42:10-17. He became twice as rich as he had been, he gave him 14,000 sheep (I knew Job was Welsh), 6,000 camels, 1,000 pair of oxen and 1,000 donkeys. On top of that he had seven sons, three daughters, lived for another 140 years and enjoyed grandchildren, great-grandchildren and great-great-grandchildren.

But ultimately Job got to see his Redeemer, Jesus Christ, face to face and together with us, he will enjoy eternity in God’s Kingdom.

Sometimes we need to live with grit and determination, sucking up the pain and keeping our eyes fixed on the bigger picture - which is eternal. Life, here on earth, is cruel and painful but remember what Billy Graham once said: “I have read all of the Bible, and I am pleased to say it turns out alright in the end!”

•  What is your hope for the future?

•  Are you still trusting God to carry you through to eternity?

Actions

The next time things start to go wrong, remember Job. Let’s not whinge, complain and blame God but trust that He is good all the time. Also, let’s take the time to get alongside our mates who are currently going through a tough time. Don’t preach at them, don’t try to make sense of it for them, just cry when they cry, laugh when they laugh and stand shoulder to shoulder with them.