Trusting In Testing

“Oh, that I might have my request, that God would grant what I hope for, that God would be willing to crush me, to let loose his hand and cut me off! ”  (Job 6:8-9)

Job wanted out… and I don’t blame him one bit.

He was a wealthy and upright man… a prosperous farmer living in the land of Uz.  He had thousands of sheep, camels, and other livestock, a large family and many servants.  He was living high on the hog!  But that was short-lived.

God… who loved Job dearly… allowed Satan to test Job and prove him righteous.

The evil one destroyed his children, servants, livestock, herdsmen and home.  Satan attacked Job physically, covering him with painful sores and when he turned to his wife, she told him to curse God and die.  His friends provided no real support.

The grief-stricken and confused man wanted to give in.  In his sorrow, Job wanted to die.

But God didn’t end up granting Job’s request because He had a greater plan for him!

Like Job, our tendency is to bail when things get tough… difficult… painful.  It’s easy to trust God in the good times, when things are easy and manageable.  But when our lives resemble a train-wreck and we STILL trust, we are proved righteous.

Standing firm in our belief tests us to our limits and exercises our faith.

Thankfully, most of us will never experience the kind of testing that Job did.  I appreciate, however,  that God included his story in the Bible.  It provides perspective.  Someone to compare and contrast with our lives and situations.  A stellar role model.

The truth is that I’ve not perfected the art of trust.

Yes… at times.  Yes… eventually.  Yes… in certain situations.  But life is hard and painful and can be overwhelming.

We can be on track, enjoying ourselves and our relationships… when all of a sudden we realize that the light in the tunnel ahead is a train coming right for us… 90 miles an hour.  Bam.

Things can change with one phone call, one doctor’s visit, one misstep, one bad decision, one innocent glance.

When those times come (and they will), remember that in your struggles – large or small – to trust that God is in control and that He will take care of you. (Romans 8:28)  He promises that, and He never goes back on His word.

God is beyond our comprehension and we cannot understand why He allows each instance of suffering to come into our lives.

Be it testing or sifting, we can be certain that God has a bigger plan for us.  Rest assured that the trials and tribulations we face move us towards that plan.

Our part is simply to remain faithful and to trust in the testing.