For the thing which I greatly feared is come upon me, and that which I was afraid of is come unto me. I was not in safety, neither had I rest, neither was I quiet; yet trouble came. (Job 3:25-26)
Most everyone is familiar with the story of the book of Job. The expression, “He has the patience of Job” is used still today, even by many who do not profess to be Christians or ever open the Bible. The story of Job is historically accurate; a real-life drama that took place exactly as stated. He was one of the richest and most famous men of his time. Everyone respected him. He had a wonderful family and a solid relationship with God. He was one of those guys who “had it all”. He was the quarterback and captain of his school’s football team, and starting point guard on the basketball team. He graduated valedictorian of his class and dated the head cheerleader, and they had a storybook wedding a couple of years after graduation. He was the type of guy who looked like he just stepped out of the GQ magazine cover; never a hair out of place, never had a zit, and did not know what a cavity was. OK, maybe all of that is not really in the Bible directly, I added it to give you the mental picture of the type of person Job was.
But the story continues. Unbeknownst to him, Job became a “pawn” in a spiritual battle between God and Satan. Satan complained and argued that the only reason Job honored God was because he got the cheerleader and had all the money. God allowed Satan to launch an offensive against Job, and in one fell swoop, Job lost it all – his family, his fortune, and his health. Then his three best friends showed up (Larry, Curly, and Moe), and spent the rest of the book unjustly riding his case about some deep dark sin in his life that had caused all his misery (Not!). While “all have sinned” including Job, he suffered mightily at the hand of our adversary due to no direct fault of his own. That can happen to all of us at times in this crazy sin-filled world of ours.
But there was an element of Job’s suffering that is found in “seed form” in the verses I quoted above. One of the “minor” reasons God allowed Job’s suffering is to teach him faith. Job was overly worried about what might happen. He said he was NOT in safety, rest, or quiet, yet still his trouble came. Remember, Job had it all. How could he say he was NOT in safety, when God had “…made an hedge about him” (Job 1:10)? Even though his business ventures were making nice profits, he could not be at rest because he dreaded the coming recession that all the experts were warning of. He came home from work every night to a nice home cooked meal, his family at his side, and his favorite Golden Retriever curled up at his feet in front of the fireplace, yet he was not “in quiet” because the cares of the future kept his heart in turmoil. God had to test Job in this area by allowing his rest and quiet to be truly taken from him.
The vast majority of what we worry about will never actually come to pass. In that regard, we spend so much of our emotional and spiritual capital on nothing. Our hearts are often “…driven with the wind and tossed” (James 1:6). We can worry, or we can trust God. But we cannot do both! One excludes the other. No one can say they trust God if they cannot rest their hearts on his care and provision even when the future looks bleak. In this absolutely upside down crazy world, the future does indeed look pretty frightening in a natural sense. But God has not let go of the reins or fallen asleep at the wheel. The believer must always apply I Peter 5:7: “Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.” He said ALL your care, not just the parts that are easy to let him have. Jesus said, “Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof” (Matthew 6:34). It does not mean we stick our head in the sand and ignore reality. It means we trust the future to the one who has guaranteed us a home in heaven. Don’t let your fear become a “self-fulfilling prophecy”. If you know Jesus as your Saviour, you will one day be with him when the calendar rolls far enough ahead. Commit your heart to his care between now and that day.
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