I'm stuck in the book of Job for some reason. Earlier I was reading how Job was saying they were frightened when they looked at him, and he said, (paraphrasing here) why are you afraid when you see me? Have I ever asked you for anything? Kind of like...have I been a burden to you in any way? And it seemed to me like Job was saying they were trying to blame him for what was happening to him when he hadn't done anything wrong. But if they didnt blame him, it would be too scary to them and would mean they'd have to admit they weren't the ones in control of their lives and their fortunes. So they almost had to blame him. Because they couldn't stomach the thought of God letting these things befall Job unless he had done something wrong.
But Job said it was Gods hand. But it says he didnt sin with his mouth by saying this. It says he didnt blame God. But he definitely saw it was God doing it. I guess you could say, no, it was satan doing it, but God permitted it, and I think Job saw that so it was God to him, not satan...
This is a very good observation. It's our tendency to judge others who are suffering, thinking that they must deserve it in some way. We like to believe that if we do everything "right," we won't ever suffer.... But this idea is not supported by the scriptures. Jesus said that in this world, we would have trouble (John 16:33). We're told in Heb 5:8, "Although He [Jesus] was a Son, He learned obedience from the things which He suffered." If our perfect Lord learned obedience in this way, how much more will we?
I've learned that there are two ways to suffer--either within God's will or outside of His will, meaning because we are obeying Him or because we are disobeying Him. When we suffer because of obedience to Him (within His will), He always gives us strength and supplies the grace so that we can make it through the trial with our faith intact. When we suffer because of disobedience, it can be unbearable.
Either way, suffering can feel devastating, but I have seen that God accomplishes a work in us through the suffering He lovingly allows in our lives, and this work could not be accomplished any other way. It's part of the sanctification process. He uses our suffering to mold us like a Master Potter molds the clay as He forms us into a usable vessel for His service.
We're told to rejoice with those who rejoice and weep with those who weep (Rom 12:15). If you're suffering right now, my heart goes out to you. I pray that you will feel His strength and grace surrounding you and filling you! You will not suffer forever, and He will get you through this trial! This too shall pass, and one day, we will be in a place where there is no suffering.
Revelation 21:1-4--Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth passed away, and there is no longer any sea. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, made ready as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is among men, and He will dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be among them, and He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away.”
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