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What the book of Job taught me after my wife died...

Friendly Face Posts: 101 **10/3/13 9:53 am**

Several years ago in a time of emotional pain, a friend recommended I read JOB. I agreed and read it through 3x. At the time it helped me to put life into perspective...losses, gains and values. Recently, I was preparing for a message I will deliver in a few days and I recalled those 3 readings...

1st time I read Job...I saw a man who lost everything through no fault of his own. In fact, I realized I knew more about Job's life than he did. You cannot seperate the pain of Job's life because he dug 10 graves and buried 10 chidlren without any explanation from God or anyone. While God eventually gave him other children, one child does not replace one that is gone. Believe me.

2nd time I read Job...I saw a God who was able to take even the worst days of life and bring out of them the future He ordained and tragedy becomes triumph and a glorious ending. God did not let the experiences ruin the plans He had for Job and nor will he for me or you.

3rd time I read Job...I saw the confidence God has in His children that He was so sure of Job's life, integrity and faith that He permits Satan to have his way knowing (without doubt) that Job will never give up, never give away his faith and will always love the Lord with all his heart!

Romans 11:29...God has never changed his mind about what He has always believed concerning you.

Golf Cart Mafia Underboss Posts: 3944 **10/5/13 7:59 pm**

Bro Bill, I have read this post about a half dozen times. We had lunch down at Pell City today with Mom and Dad, a little late celebration of his 81st birthday and their 58th anniversary. I pulled your post up on my tablet pc and let them read it. Dad wants a printed copy, which I will take care of. He'd like your sermon notes as well when you complete them.

I have been teaching a series on Job in my SS class. They may be getting tired of hearing me say that there are things in Job that I don't like.

But there are good things in it also, things that are revealed there that give us a glimpse into the nature of the Father.

One of the indisputables is the absolute fact that human death is not viewed by God the way it is viewed by the loved ones who are left behind. Ps 116:15 is another source for this truth: PRECIOUS in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints (servants). I can only sympathize with you over the loss of your wife. I don't have the resource for empathy, yet.

In Job, we can be tempted to think that God was insensitive. But I think we should come away from it realizing that the death of those 10, while brutal for Job to endure, merely preserved them for the eternity that he had in mind for Job. Even re-reading this right now, I fear I too am coming off as callous.

Someone asked recently how long the trial of Job took from the day all the bad news arrived, until the day he prayed for his friends. Nobody knows. But we know it was a small fraction of his life, and a mere speck of his eternity.

I don't know anyone who has gone through what Job endured. The Bible doesn't tell of anyone who went through that much. But I am glad the story is there for us all to learn from. I hate that Job went through it, like I hate that Christ went to the cross. But I am glad that the story is there, and that we can benefit from it.

I know that God doesn't summon the adversary to his presence to give account of what he has been doing, and ask him, "Have you considered my servant, Bob?" And I don't pretend to believe I could have been a replacement for Job any more than I could have been a replacement for Christ. But I CAN follow Job in my heart, that I love good and eschew evil. And I can know for a certainty that the same God loves me and has the same eternal life for me.

I am grafted in. And I am blessed more than I deserve. So was Job, and he knew it.

01000001 01100011 01110100 01110011 Posts: 24285 **10/5/13 9:42 pm**

Very good post... Cool

_________________
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Friendly Face Posts: 101 **10/7/13 1:39 pm**

Brother Bob:

Thanks for your insights and I've read them carefully. The human dimension of life and death is a struggle for me and I openly talk about how death in God's view is different than my own. The truth of life is that all that God views is often different from my view because He sees eternity and I don't. The total timeline of who I am and who you are is before Him and so when He sees a season of trial and adversity, He also sees the journey BEYOND and how the next chapters are written. My own experiences are teaching me that the lessons we learn are not only for us but for others and I've been meeting some precious people who, like me, are seeking to make sense of moments that life can bring.

Thanks again!

Job Taught Me.....

Acts-celerater Posts: 671 **10/8/13 2:15 pm**

When our sixteen year old daughter Rebekah died I read Job as well. One of the main things I learned was " never give up."

Two passages quickly becoming my favorites...

Acts-celerater Posts: 881 **10/16/13 11:43 am**

Job 16 (NLT)

Hey, Ray...

Friendly Face Posts: 101 **10/18/13 12:44 pm**

The truth of our lives is that in our brokenness we learn what we need in life. Seldom do we learn much in our successes...but in our failings and our pain come the learnings that shape our lives and forge our faith in God.

At least that has been the case with me...

I agree Bill,

Acts-celerater Posts: 881 **10/18/13 3:02 pm**

I excerpted this from a Magazine and posted it on FB:

From an interview with Ashley Cleveland, a Christian singer-songwriter, in Christian Musician Magazine SEP/OCT 2013. Talking about her book "Little Black Sheep".

Re: I agree Bill,

01000001 01100011 01110100 01110011 Posts: 24285 **10/28/13 8:20 pm**