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(Presented by Lisa Bishop)
When you are in the midst of a hard season in life, what is your reaction? When things are not going the way you had planned or when suffering comes your way, how do you respond? Does your heart grow cold to God, distanced, or weary? Or is gratitude the posture of your heart in the midst of suffering?
I have been reading the book of Job, and to be reminded of the loss, suffering, and pain he experienced while all the while staying faithful to God is astounding. It is counterintuitive to praise God in the middle of our pain, but that is exactly what Job did and it floors me every time I read his story. Job chapter 1 tells us that Job was a man of perfect integrity who feared God and turned away from evil. His life was marked by his faithfulness to God.
One day Satan challenges the authenticity of Job’s faith and declares that the reason he is faithful is because God has provided for him abundantly and protected him and everything he owns. Satan challenges Job’s loyalty to the Lord and tells God, “But stretch out your hand and strike everything he owns, and he will surely curse you to your face” (Job 1:11). God essentially gives Satan permission to test Job’s faith and as we read, everything that Job has is taken from him, starting with the death of his children and servants and the loss of his livestock which was his livelihood. Everything, gone. His family and everything he worked so hard for vanished.
This is Job’s response:
“Then Job stood up, tore his robe, and shaved his head. He fell to the ground and worshiped, saying, “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I will leave this life. The Lord gives, and The Lord takes away. Praise the name of Yaweh” (Job 1:20-21).
And as we read further, we learn that “Throughout all this Job did not sin or blame God for anything” (Job 1:22).
Job’s gratitude for God transformed his response to God when his life seemed unbearable and like it was caving in. We can learn a lot about others by how they respond to God when life gets hard. We learn a lot about ourselves. Will we cling to him, show gratitude for who God is and his faithfulness during difficult times? Or will we become distant and bitter towards God? Job lost almost everything dear to him, yet he expressed trust in God even when his heart was breaking.
Would you respond the same way? What difficult situation are you currently facing? How can you respond like Job, falling to the ground in worship? Praise God in the midst of your pain, and remember the character of God and refuse to forget that he is faithful. He is for you. He is with you.