Suffering

I finished up Genesis a couple of weeks ago and moved onto Job. I am reading through my ESV Study Bible, but I am using the reading plan from the Chronological Bible, which attempts to arrange the books in the order in which they are thought to have been written. Therefore, I moved from the silent sufferings of Joseph, who was betrayed by his brothers and sold as a slave to a foreign land, to Job, who is attacked by Satan and has his property, family and health taken away from almost instantly. What do these two men have in common? They praise and obey God despite their circumstances. Joseph suffers through life as a slave and, later, as a prisoner for a wrong he didn't commit, before he is finally elevated to governor over all the land because of God's grace toward him. Yet, even in his horrible, isolated situation that lasts for many, many years, he remains faithful to God. It's only when he looks back on his situation, when he has sons of his own, that he verbalizes that his past has been full of "hardship," but he still praises God for delivering him from all the ways he has been mistreated over the years.

Likewise, Job suffers much and is still able to praise God. When Satan come before God, wanting to test Job's faithfulness, he is then granted the authority to essentially "ruin" Job's life by killing off his children, destroying his property, and by strking him with disease. And what does he do in the very next few verses? H praises God! He learns that all his children have died, and he "fell on the ground and worshiped" (Job1:20). Of course, he is mounring. He tears his robe, shaves his head, and is deeply grieved. But he praises God. How convicting for me. I often find myself in a bad mood, feeling selfish and miserable, at the slightest inconvenience to myself. My schedule doesn't go as planned, my students are irritating me, wedding planning is overwhelming... I often find myself sinning in these situtations - arguing, lashing back, feeling sorry for myself, filled with anxiety. I don't naturally turn to God and praise him. And look at the gifts he has given me: a busy schedule full of friends, ministry, and activities; a stable job and students I get to work with every day; an upcoming marriage and the fun of a wedding! How I want to be more like Job, who in all his trials, "did not sin or charge God with wrong" (Job 1:22), but instead worshiped his Creator and Redeemer.