^
Have been listening to this song on repeat for the last hour. You should too...
Don't hate on a little self-encouragement! Bruno Mars knows what's up.
-------------------------------
I opened this to update last night, but was too tired. So, here are some thoughts:
Job-
Satan was trying to get Job to curse God. God was willing to test his servant, who had thus far been faithful and righteous. Satan does his worst- takes everything but Job's life... even to the point of Job hating the life he does have. But Job doesn't ever curse God... instead, he turns to God and pleads, complains freely, tries to figure out God's ways... and asks God questions about his pain. The speeches given by Job's friends reveal the folly in mankind's wisdom and how little we actually know about God. Now, if you've never read the book of Job, or heard how it ends... stay tuned. God does eventually break his silence and when it happens, everything is shaken.
Have you ever gotten to a point in your life when it seems like there is no logical reason for your suffering? You've been accused and yet are completely innocent? Job was here. He goes so far as to say something I'm sure we have all said, sarcastically, at some time or another: "Since I am already found guilty, why should I struggle in vain?" Two of my favorite questions: "Your hands shaped me and made me. Will you now turn and destroy me? Remember that you molded me like clay. Will you now turn me to dust again? (10:8-9). Have you ever felt destroyed? Battered, bruised, unable to do anything but seep in your own pain, be it physical or emotional?
I know for sure that I have not been the depths of hell, or afflicted so horribly as Job had been, but I have experienced the grief of brokenness and heartache created by something other than myself. I have felt as if my heart would truly beat itself to my death, that or rip apart. I have been brought low... and I remember thinking, "if this is what pain is, I know why people would turn from God." But God was not the one I wanted to go away. I wanted the pain to go away. I wanted to be restored! I wanted a life not filled with such physical and emotional distress. I certainly didn't have the same amount of verbiage that Job did, but in my own way, I asked the question, "why". I asked what I had done to deserve it... I asked why things were allowed to happen and mature so much only to be taken away. I never once thought to turn from God. The thought was not just far off, but non existent. I feel like this is what it was like for Job. He was no longer "hedged in" that safe and guarded life. His life was all but destroyed at this point, but he continued to cry out to God. He knew that God exists, and He knew, somewhat, that God is sovereign. Even though he knew dangerously little about God and the heavenly things going on, and questioned God's character (which he gets called out for in a big way later), Job knew that the only One who could make his life better, if it was not to be taken from him, was God, and so he continued to cry out.
No comments:
Post a Comment