A Trust- as none other

Job 13:15 ”Thou He slay me, yet I will trust in Him.”

Recently I have been reading through the book and life of Job. In chapter 1, we read that Job lost everything; he lost his sons and daughters; he lost his possessions; he even lost his health. Yet, the response of this broken man was to immediately fall to his knees, crying out to God, and all the while, still praising the Father’s Name.

Job 1:20-22 ”Job fell down upon the ground, and worshipped saying, “Naked came I out of my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return thither: the Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.”

..DO YOU TRUST THE LORD IN SUCH A WAY?

We are familiar with the sweet restoration at the end of Job’s story; he receives double of what he had lost. Before when I have read Job, I breezed through the chapters to the end when we see the Lord’s hand at work. It certainly can be a hard book to chew on. However, if we skip to the end, I believe we have missed the point God is trying to convey through Job’s life. The heart of this story is Job’s trust in the Lord through the pain, the heartache, the trials, and the lowest point humanly imaginable. Trials always reveal the truth of where our hope lies.

Right dead in the center of this book is the most beautiful picture; not the end when everything has been restored. But, here when a physically, broken man at his end cries out to God acknowledging that He has allowed this happen to him, yet still trusting in His Sovereignty.

Job 13:15 ”Thou He slay me, yet I will trust in Him.”

Job chose to trust. Job chose to hope. Job chose the Lord above it all.

In Chapter 13, Job has boils on his skin; he is not only emotionally tormented, but physically in such pain that I truly cannot fathom it . His own wife in chapters before tells him to curse God and die (2:9). Then the majority of the book is Job’s friends rebuking him and telling him to repent of his unrighteousness. Job is the only book of the Bible that there are no specific dates or time references mentioned; however, theologians believe based upon the writing that Job’s sufferings could have lasted for years.

Currently as I type this, I sit with a pot of coffee brewing, and fuzzy slippers on my feet in a cozy placement looking out to the white, snowy abyss (a foot of snow came last night to Asheville). I have sat plenty of places abundantly blessed by my health, my friends, the cup of coffee in my hand, etc… not choosing to trust the Lord.

Job had every right to doubt and question God looking at his story from our human persective, yet Job knew the Lord. He knew Him so personally and intimately. Job desired the Lord not just the Lord’s Hand. We see this in how Job’s faith was not contingent upon his circumstances. Now, I am sure Job was relieved when the Lord came and restored all that he had lost. I imagine though, Job’s joy to be at its highest when He heard His Lord’s Voice call to him out of a whirlwind in Chapter 38.

Ooof. This brought me to my knees, friends. I long to have such trust in our Lord. I long to have Job’s unshakable faith.

Maybe you are in a season as Job today, the Father is reaching out His Hand, and He only wants your heart.. to know the Lord is better than life itself, I promise.

Jesus, thank you for Job’s story that brings us to the realization that You are enough. You are all that matters; Everything else of this world is fleeting. I pray for a heart craving to know You, Lord and not just craving to see Your hand at work. I pray for Job’s unshakable faith and trust in You. Blessed be Your Name, today and forever.

Your Beloved, Kel