Episode 299
2 April 2021, Friday
Word
of Hope for Today with PRC
Message: Give
Thanks to the Lord even in the midst of Suffering.
Key
verse: ….Shall we indeed accept good from God and not accept
adversity?" In all this Job did not sin with his lips. (Job 2:10)
TODAY’S
INSIGHT
For millions of
Filipinos, this ECQ will require people to dig deep within themselves in order
to truly give thanks. The spiritual teaching on gratitude, celebrated in great
style on Thanksgiving, is not an easy one to follow if you are in distress,
jobless, homeless, broke, sick without health insurance or have exhausted hope
that things are going to get better anytime soon.
A classic statement on
giving thanks is the first verse of Psalm 118, “Thank God for He is good, for
His kindness endures forever.” The implications of this verse are clear. No
matter what, God is always good and is worthy of receiving our thanks.
In a world filled with
suffering, this is not an easy verse to wrap our heads around. If you are
deeply suffering personally, or if you are feeling the intense suffering that fills
the news in this country and around the world, how can you feel God’s goodness
in the face of tragedy and disaster?
Isaiah 45:7 describes
the God who is always good in stark terms, “I form light and create darkness; I
make peace and create evil; I the Unnamable do all these things.” Here is God
taking ownership of the darkness. What is so good about that?
The Book of Job provides
insight into this God of light and darkness and why it is proper to give thanks
no matter what. Job’s story is challenging. He is a man described as tam
v’yasher — that is, wholesome and righteous. Job is successful. He does
everything he can to be good and avoid evil. Yet God allows the Accuser, the
Satan, to test Job in a way that would break many people.
As difficult as his life
gets, as much as he cries out to God for answers as to why his life is in
ruins, the one thing he does not do is reject God, the source of life. The
excellent Stephen Mitchell translation conveys Job’s frustration toward
God:
...because God has tricked
me,
and lured me into his trap.
I call, but there is no
answer;
I cry out, and where is justice?
He made my road
impassable,
covered my path with darkness,
Stripped me of my honor,
knocked the crown from my head.
He broke me, rooted me up,
left me in little pieces.
His anger set me on fire;
his hatred burned me
to ashes.
Even at the depth of
Job’s suffering, he engages God. Job rejects the call from his wife to curse
God and die. He refuses to become bitter about his circumstances. He does not
cut himself off from the ability to give thanks. Job doesn’t deny his own pain;
he uses it as a gateway to go deeper into his relationship with God.
When God finally
responds to Job’s anguish, it is in surprising terms:
Where were you when I
planned the earth?
Tell me, if you are so wise.
Do you know who took its
dimensions,
measured its length with a cord?
What were its pillars
built on?
Who laid down its cornerstone,
while morning stars burst
out singing
and the angels shouted
for joy!
God takes Job out of his
limited understanding of life and gives him insight into the glory of Creation,
the unfathomable magnificence of God’s design. Job is speechless before this
display of unimaginable power and mystery. He sees his own life in a different
way and is transformed by the experience. Job can now see God’s goodness to a
depth that was impossible before his own experience of the darkness.
As Job learned and
Isaiah stated, God is an energy that encompasses all of life, the light and the
dark. It is beyond human understanding to comprehend the plans of the Creator.
Yet, if we are willing to endure our suffering and not give up on God, it is
possible to reach a place inside of ourselves where we deeply know God is good
and always cares about us.
As the great spiritual
traditions teach, in essence God is love. The Book of Job shows us it is not
always easy to see that love acting in our lives. But the book also points a
way for us to navigate through despair. It is not a painless path, but the
ability to see God in a greater light, to touch the Divine in difficult times,
holds out the potential for rewards that deeply feed the soul and lead to
renewed hope and faith.
PRAYER
FOR TODAY:
Heavenly Father, as I consider
the story of Job, I begin to see that there are none that are righteous -
not even one, and that only by faith in your dearly beloved Son and His
righteousness, can we be declared righteous in your sight. Thank You that Jesus
is my Kinsman-Redeemer - the Days-man for Whom Job longed and our sacrifice for
sin. Thank You for the lessons I can learn from every character in the book of
Job. Help me to make the right choices in my life and to trust You, no
matter what circumstances may arise. Keep me from speaking foolish words when
faced with adversity and thank You that your grace is always sufficient. Help
me to live by faith in Your Word and not to be swayed by sight or feelings
- even when I don't understand. This I ask in Jesus' name, AMEN.
PRAYER FOR SALVATION:
Lord thank you for
this opportunity to hear your Word and I admit Lord that I am a sinner
and I repent of all my sins and accept you as my Personal Lord and Savior.
Amen,
If you mean that from
the bottom of your heart you are now saved as he promised in John 3:16...that
if you believe in Him (Jesus) you will receive Eternal Life.
In order for you to
grow spiritually strong follow these steps below;
a. Attend church
service regularly.
b. Attend bible study
or prayer meeting.
c. Find your gift or
ministry to serve in the Church.
d. Witness Jesus Christ
to others.
God bless you!
