Regardless of the Circumstances

Job 1:20-22

20        Then Job arose, and rent his mantle, and shaved his head, and fell down upon the ground, and worshipped,

21        And said, Naked came I out of my mother's womb, and naked shall I return thither: the LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD.

22        In all this Job sinned not, nor charged God foolishly. (KJV)

You remember last week regarding the widow of Zarephath-she lost her son?  Do you remember how she reacted with bitterness and that Elijah was instrumental in the boy’s resurrection back to this life, all because of God’s love and mercy?  You remember her response when she received her boy back alive?  Well Job’s response to the loss of all his kids, his servants, his livestock, his entire ranch was totally different, wasn’t it?  And God did not resurrect the kids or the servants either, did He?  The widow of Zarephath had charged God foolishly, but Job did not.  Big difference between the two was one was a follower of God, the other wasn’t.  One looked at only the event that affected her and the other looked at God’s soverignty.

God does not as a general practice give us back loved ones who have died.  It happens on very few occasions.   Perhaps once a century, if that.  So the millions of us each century that lose loved ones to death don’t have the delight given them that was given the widow of Zarephath.  How do you adjust to it?  Do you feel God has abandoned you just cause the nearest and dearest to you has left this world?  Do you ask God why did it happen-why that way-why at that time, etc?  Lots of people have and do.  When my father died, I felt like God had taken him much too soon, that it just wasn’t time and I was a bit upset with God over that.  But I knew deep down in my heart God was not only sovereign but knew what He was doing and that He took Daddy at that particular time because God is a wise and all knowing God.  Really, it was perfect timing because unbeknownst to us, my mother was going downhill physically and I would have had two elderly folks who needed care instead of one-my mother. She outlived him by 6 years. 

There is not a one of us who likes losing a loved one.  Not even Jesus.  Remember how Jesus cried after He arrived at Lazarus’ house?  Think He liked death any better than us?   No way!  On top of that He was glad He could come and demonstrate God’s mighty power-the power of the resurrection to all these people who had come to comfort Mary and Martha.  And Jesus brought the greatest comfort of all-the reality that He had power over life and death and resurrection was found -is found-in Him.  And Lazarus was resurrected and given back to his family.  Now Mary and Martha knew Jesus could have prevented Lazarus’ death, but did not quite realize that Jesus could bring someone who had already started decaying back to life.  They knew one day God would bring about a great and general resurrection, but Lazarus then and there?  Jesus surprised the two sisters-who had been quite put out that Jesus did not  come back to their town and prevent the death.  They actually resented that He did not come in time.  Course we know He did come on time and it was in God’s perfect timing and not their own.  And we don’t even know if Lazarus was all that keen on coming back. 

At any rate, let us not judge God as did the widow, but accept our losses gracefully as did Job.  Yes, Job, was going to be losing more to come-his health.  But Job still knew that somehow someway God was behind it all and was taught more lessons about God’s sovereignty.  And he was never told why his children and servants died.  He was never told why all his property became non-existent for him.  God held from him the knowledge that Satan had played a part in the whole scene and held from him the knowledge that He (God) and Satan were using Job to make a point and of course God proved His point and proved the truth.  God required the same from Job as He does from us-faith in Him and His love no matter what happens.  Job’s faith did not fail him, nor did he turn away from serving God out of bitterness. Yes, he got depressed, angry, got caught up in self-pity, but he never wavered in his faith in an all knowing, all powerful, all loving God.  He also knew he had not brought all of it on himself and was having some real theological problems, but never wavered in his determination to be a follower of God.  Never did he turn his back on God.  Never did he follow his wife’s advice, “Curse God and die.” 

If any of you have lost a loved one recently, let me encourage you.  1st off, this life is awfully short  and we all will be spending eternity somewhere, and some leave for eternity sooner than others.  2nd off just cause we have lost someone does not mean God does not love us.  It does not mean that God has abandoned us.  It does not mean that He is punishing us.  It does mean that God is sovereign and knows what He is doing, and because He is God He can choose what should happen when.  And He does.  Our lives are not about what makes us happy, but about pleasing God.  It’s not about us, it’s about Him.  We were created for His good pleasure and His pleasure is to turn us into the image of Jesus, to make us like Jesus.  And like Jesus be full of love and faith and hope and joy and peace and more. 

If you have felt abandoned or punished or rejected by God because you have lost a loved one, then open your eyes and change your attitude and belief and look at what God says in His word about you.  Ask His forgiveness for charging Him wrongly, for judging Him from your own finite mentality and perspective, and recommit yourself to Him--recommit yourself to following Him, loving Him, trusting Him, believing Him, living for Him.  You won’t regret it. 

Have a great weekend.  Love, the Good News Lady