Going Through A Hard Time…

8-09am

I am continually amazed at the hand of God, Who, unbeknown to us, is constantly working in our lives. Sometimes we pick it up and we notice it and we marvel, but a lot of the times, He, in His mercy, is at work and we are completely oblivious.

Today I started reading the book of Job in the Old Testament. The oldest book in the Bible, I had not got through chapter 1 before I saw the scary, the unexplainable, the really, really hard.

I hung my head & covered my face and said, “Lord, I do not understand this. I do not understand how You could allow Job to go through this – that You would give permission for this. I do not understand this.”

God gave the devil permission to kill all 10 of Job’s children, all in one go. Tornado kind of wind flattened the house where they were partying and they all died. God permitted that. Job’s reaction was naturally one of complete trauma and devastation. First he tore his clothes, then he grabbed a blade and shaved his head and then? I thought that coming next he would sit down in sackcloth and ashes. But he didn’t do that.

Job 1:20 “At this, Job got up and tore his robe and shaved his head. Then he fell to the ground in worship.”

Pulpit commentary says,  “After giving vent to his natural grief, Job made an act of adoration. Recognizing the fact that adversity, as well as prosperity comes from God, and submitting himself to the Divine will, he “worshipped.”

In his extreme pain, broken beyond words, he fell on the ground in worship.

God’s ways are not our ways, but the message that came to my mind this morning, I put on the Rise and Shine FB page:

How hard does hard have to get before you give up?  You may think you are going through a hard time at the moment. You may want to give up. Don’t. Push on. There is pain in your life, difficulties in your family or at work. Maybe insurmountable health or financial issues. Push on. Just live today, not worrying about what will happen. Job received the worst news possible. The death of ALL his 10 children. He was devastated. Yet he fell to the ground in worship! Job’s hardships make ours fade into insignificance. Push on through the pain, through the hardship, fall to the ground in worship. God is there & He will help you. You will come through this. Don’t focus too much on anything beyond today. It is going to be okay!

I still don’t understand why God allows tragedy in this world. All I know is that we live in a broken world and one day we won’t. It’s not about now. We don’t understand but we continue to trust God. Like Simon Peter in John 6:68, we say, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.”

God bless you richly.

In His Grip,

Helga xx 🙂