the eternal question

You know what I hate about the story of Job? How God chews Job out at the end of the book. After all, wasn't God the one who described Job as the finest man on earth-- a man of complete integrity; didn't God refer to him as one who had nothing to do with evil?  In the story, Job experiences unimaginable suffering, so that by the end you might expect God to be singing Job's praises--"Well done good and faithful servant" kind of praises. But He doesn't. I have to admit that, in the past, I've always  skimmed that part of the story jumping to the happily ever after. And I'm wondering if all along I haven't been missing the most important part. 

It’s the eternal question, isn’t it? If God is so good then why so much suffering? Why, especially, does it seem that His faithful followers are inflicted with all kinds of grief and pain. This question always seems to be hovering above my heart waiting to consume me with its fire of anger, resentment, and doubt about God’s goodness.

After all, who hasn’t wondered why God allows such suffering on the earth. For a nonbeliever the answer might come easier; God isn’t real, He doesn’t exist, or, if He does, He’s a fraud. But for the believer who trusts God, who follows God, suffering seems to be the antitheses of all that we believe God to be; gracious, merciful, loving. 

Today, for the first time in a long time, I remembered the night I was hospitalized in a state of severe psychosis. I remember the pain of waking up and realizing that all of my visions in the past several days--the ones I thought were from God had been nothing more than the twisted work of a devil—a devil who masquerades as an angel of light. I felt so vulnerable, scared, and unsure of what had gone on. My past seemed a fraud and my future loomed before me with so many unanswered questions. 

In the midst of all that pain, I was tempted more than at any other time in my life to turn my back on God—to have nothing more to do with Him. God was good, was He?  I had prayed. I had worked. I had been faithful. Was all of this just a cheap trick by some puppet master in heaven who, despite what I’d been taught, didn’t care about me at all? Worse yet, was He mocking me? 

Looking back, almost ten years later, I realized something else today, God's perspective, His eternal perspective is so much clearer than my own. In the midst of that thought something else occurred to me. The best person who ever lived, a person who was good to the core, who followed God unswervingly endured terrible suffering, too. Jesus. 

I'm sure there wasn't a single day that Jesus didn't experience some type of trouble. Yet, he followed God, he trusted God, he believed in God's goodness. So what was the outcome of his life? What did he receive as a reward for his faithful obedience? He died. On a cross. Alone. And the very God he called Father had forsaken him. 

Jesus felt the pain of it, the full pain of being left to wonder if God really is as good as He claims to be. And you know what? To the very end Jesus believed that, yes, his Father was good. Though he felt forsaken, Jesus entrusted his spirit to the One who could rescue him from death. 

If the best person who ever lived endured such unimaginable pain, is it too much for God to ask that I endure suffering with the same faith and hope that Jesus did? After all, look at what came out of Jesus’ life; out of his death. Our salvation. Something magnificent and beautiful grew out of the ashes of death—Jesus brought us back to God, back to our Father. 

Let me encourage you today to look at suffering with a little bit different perspective. See it not as a curse to be borne. Instead, praise God for what He will bring out of the ashes of your own suffering. Life. Eternal life—with a happily ever after we can’t even begin to imagine. All will be set right in the end. I believe that with all my heart. I hope you can find the faith to believe it, too.

tubthumping

Back in the day, when life was pretty tough there was a song that was popular that was sort of inspirational for me. “Tubthumping”, by chumbawamba. Recognize it? Just in case you don’t, I’ll give you a hint. It’s also known as the “I get knocked down” song. But when I took a look at the lyrics this morning, I had to laugh as I discovered that the song is really about a drunken splurge or fest. Doesn’t matter. The chorus was all I needed to hear. “I get knocked down but I get up again,” became my mantra through those difficult days. The truth is, I did feel as though I was getting “knocked down” on all sides as I’m sure many of you have felt before. How’s that saying go? Trouble always comes in threes, or when it rains it pours. They really seem true. But maybe there’s a reason for that.

As I’m typing this, I’m thinking of the story of Job. You know the guy. The man of complete integrity, blameless, one who feared God and stayed away from evil. God was proud of him. He loved him. So what did he do? Throw a royal reception for him? Bless him with gifts galore? Honor him before the world? Nope, none of the above. In fact, what happened next might completely blow your mind. God allowed the rug to be pulled out from beneath Job’s feet and he lost everything. Everything.  What’s so puzzling about this is that it seems so inconsistent with how God felt about Job.

Who convinces God to test Job, to allow horrible things to happen in his life? None other than the Accuser, Satan. Perhaps the most interesting detail about this story is what happens behind the curtain, in the throne room of God. The very first chapter of Job describes how the angels are presenting themselves before the Lord. And not one to be left out, Satan shows up, too. When God asks him what he’s been doing, Satan tells God that he’s been roaming throughout the world watching everything that is going on.

 What happens next is the golden part of this story, God has something to brag about – his servant, his son, Job. As God is boasting about Job, Satan is concocting a plan; one that will screw up Job’s world – turn it upside down. He asks God for permission to take everything away from Job. In fact, he almost taunts God with this challenge. “Take away everything [Job] has, and he will surely curse you to your face!” (Job 1:11)

So God allows the test, and Satan greedily and hungrily gets to work. The first item on his agenda is to take away Job’s livestock and farmhands. Next, come the sheep and shepherds. Then Job’s camels and servants. Last, but not least, Satan hits Job with a gut wrenching punch by killing all of his sons and daughters. And that’s not even the worst part. The real kicker is that all of this happens on the same day, within a matter of hours. After he’s received all of this news, Job does what God expected him to, what God hoped he would do. He humbles himself before the One who has given him everything. Rather than curse God, Job accepts this test. The Lord gives and the Lord takes away he says.

Still, Satan isn’t satisfied. As if he hasn’t already done enough, he arrives in the throne room of God with a new challenge. Strike Job physically, Satan sneers and, “he will surely curse you to your face” (Genesis 2:4). God allows it and Job is stricken with a terrible case of boils from head to toe. At this point, even Job’s wife tries to persuade him to curse God and die. But Job stands firm and in all of what occurs he maintains his integrity saying, “Shall we accept only good things from the hand of God and never anything bad?”

Seems that Job went through a lot, too much maybe. Maybe you feel this way – that God has dealt you one too many blows. You wouldn’t be the first person to think that, nor will you be the last. It is a tough world. Bad things happen. Bad things happen to good people. And it’s true in the case of Job. He was a good man; a man of complete integrity. So, why the attacks? Why did God allow Job to suffer so much?

Wish there was an easy answer to that question, but the truth is there’s not. But I think it’s important to remember a few things. God wasn’t displeased with Job. He wasn’t punishing him. He loved Job. He was proud of him. The next time you face a trial, a knock-down punch, remember Job. Take a peek behind the curtain of heaven and read once again this unfolding and fascinating story; the story of a man who lost everything. Think about how proud God was of him. Maybe God isn’t cursing you. Maybe He’s testing you. Maybe He’s proud of you too and wants to show you off, not only to the Accuser, but to the rest of the world as well.

2 Corinthians 4: 8-10 We are hard pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed and broken. We are perplexed, but we don’t give up and quit. We are hunted down, but God never abandons us. We get knocked down, but we get up again and keep going.  (NLT)

Crazy Storms

You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trust in you.  Isaiah 26:3

Today was one of those, "Calgon, take me away" days.  I had a hard time following my own advice; don't wish your days away.  Really, I would be okay if my kids were, say, three or four years older than they are.  Oh dear!  What is it about preschoolers and toddlers that makes you feel like you're living in the midst of a tornado, clinging onto anything for dear life.  And I mean anything.  The above verse is one that I've been clinging to this evening.  I don't know about you but I have trouble living in perfect peace.  Every little worry, concern, event, catastrophe, mishap calls out for my attention all day long.   I feel myself being sucked into a vortex of worry, fear, and yes, my favorite -  anxiety. 

How does one obtain perfect peace; is it even really possible?  Well, with God all things are possible so I suppose this state of mind is possible too.  One story about Jesus that I love, is the story of when he was asleep in a boat in the midst of a storm.  And, I mean, it must have been some storm; the disciples were terrified.  (Matthew 8:24a  The disciples went and woke him, saying "Master, Master, we're going to drown.")  I mean really, was Jesus deaf or something, or was he just that tired?  Who could sleep through a storm like that, much less sleep in a storm?  Now that's perfect peace. 

Matthew 8:24b  [Jesus] got up and rebuked the wind and the raging waters; the storm subsided, and all was calm.  "Where is your faith?" he asked his disciples.  Just like that; "Where is your faith."  Okay, who has faith like that?  Well, apparently Jesus did.  He trusted his Father completely.  He had  that perfect peace because he knew who was taking care of him.   What's more he knew that with a single word, the storm could be stopped. 

Yeah, that's the part I have trouble with.  You see, in the midst of the storms of life, I struggle to keep my mind off the storm.  It's what I think about, stew about, fixate on.  But maybe I should take a cue from Jesus, find a way to block out the noise of the storm, and rest peacefully in my Father's care.

Must go now.  I think the little tornadoes are tearing our living room apart.  Hoping this is one of the storms that can be stopped quickly.