Job 1:13-19 And there was a day when his sons and his daughters were eating and drinking wine in their eldest brother's house: And there came a messenger unto Job, and said, The oxen were plowing, and the asses feeding beside them: And the Sabeans fell upon them, and took them away; yea, they have slain the servants with the edge of the sword; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee. While he was yet speaking, there came also another, and said, The fire of God is fallen from heaven, and hath burned up the sheep, and the servants, and consumed them; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee. While he was yet speaking, there came also another, and said, The Chaldeans made out three bands, and fell upon the camels, and have carried them away, yea, and slain the servants with the edge of the sword; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee. While he was yet speaking, there came also another, and said, Thy sons and thy daughters were eating and drinking wine in their eldest brother's house: And, behold, there came a great wind from the wilderness, and smote the four corners of the house, and it fell upon the young men, and they are dead; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee.
Have you ever had a rough day? Have you ever had a day when nothing went right? Maybe your day went something like this:
You get up in the morning for work and your alarm doesn’t go off. You are trying to leave for work and the car won’t start despite your efforts to jump it. Great, you probably need a new battery (or worse!), and the bank account is already low. Next, you get a phone call from a loved one saying he’s just been diagnosed with a severe illness. That afternoon, you receive a large, unexpected bill in the mail, and you wonder how you’re ever going to pay it. Then, if things couldn’t get worse, you get a message from a good friend about something you did last week that offended them. Now your relationship is in conflict, but you don’t know even know why or how that happened!
Brings me to the story of Job. Job had a tremendously bad day. He lost his livestock, his servants, his buildings, and his children all in a matter of a day or less. What a “blow to the gut” that was to Job!
What lessons can we take away from Job? What lesson can we learn from his response to his bad day?
1. God is in control- No matter what goes on, God is in control. He will never leave us or forsake us. He knows exactly what is happening!
Matthew 10:29-31 “Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows.”
2. Don’t blame God- God has a purpose for us. Our ways are not His ways nor our thoughts His thoughts. We see only what is in front of us, but God can see the whole picture.
Romans 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.
3. It’s OK to mourn- It’s OK to grieve over a devastating or heartbreaking loss. It’s OK to acknowledge that this is a stressful situation or that it feels like it’s more than we can bear. We don’t have to slap a smile on and pretend that everything is all right, nor should we. In verse 20, Job “rent his mantle, and shaved his head’ In his time and culture, doing so was a sign that you were in mourning. We know that this is an acceptable response because verse 22 says that Job, “sinned not, nor charged God foolishly.” His mourning was not a self-focused pity party. He had emotions and he displayed them in a way that was appropriate to his situation. We are created with real emotions and it’s OK to show them.
4. Don’t quit! God will show Himself strong – the Bible says in Job 42:12 “So the Lord blessed the latter end of Job more than his beginning:” God’s blessings were greater after Job’s trial than his blessing before the trials. I want to encourage you, keep going! Keep staying faithful! Keep trusting in God! Your strength will be renewed!
Isaiah 40:3, “ But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.”
