You Gotta Walk The Walk

"Behold, how happy is the man whom God reproves." Job 5:17

Remember Job? You know, the guy God let Satan torment. And of course, his wife, "Curse God and die," didn't help the situation much. Job was miserable though. I can't imagine. I don't want to ever know that kind of testing. But God does test us. Job responds to his wife, "Shall we indeed accept good from God and not accept adversity?"

We're so quick to grab the good in life, and thumb our noses at what might come along from our Father to test us, and strengthen us, and help us grow. It gets worse for Job though. He tells a buddy, "For what I fear comes upon me, and what I dread befalls me." Have you ever been there? Maybe not to the degree Job experienced, but what about some other aspect of your life?

Eventually Job cannot stand it any more though, and he launches into this long, pitiful speech about how bad his life really is. It sounds like he's just about ready to throw in the towel. "Let the day perish on which I was born," he cries. "Why is light given to him who suffers?" In other word, let me die!

But then one of Job's friends, Eliphaz, who has been sitting with him for seven days, says this; Behold, you have admonished many, and you have strengthened weak hands. You words have helped the tottering to stand, and you have strengthened feeble knees. But now, it has come to you, and you are impatient? It touches you, and you are dismayed. Is not your fear of God your confidence, and the integrity of your ways your hope?"

Any chance you can identify with that? It's so easy to talk the talk, but when the train is coming in your direction, what do you do? Doubt? Quit? Feel like you'd be better off dead? No! That's not the reason for this season of darkness. God has something for you in all of it. Look at Job's eventual response. "Teach me, and I will be silent; And show me how I have erred." That's been my prayer lately. "Lord, I don't understand it all, so I will be silent so you can teach me. I will quit trying to do it on my own. Show me how I have erred, so I can follow you." It works. And that's where the peace and joy reside, in letting go, and letting God have His way. -- Greg Tutwiler