sokin's devotional 63 - the mercy of God
Why did I not perish at birth, and die as I came from the womb? Why were there knees to receive me and breasts that I might be nursed?...Or why was I not hidden in the ground like a stillborn child, like an infant who never saw the light of day?...Why is light given to those in misery, and life to the bitter of soul, to those who long for death that does not come, who search for it more than for hidden treasure, who are filled with gladness and rejoice when they reach the grave?...I have no peace, no quietness; I have no rest, but only turmoil.
Job 3:11, 12, 16, 20, 21, 22, 26
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Quite an odd passage to dwell upon and highlight for a devotional, but what I love about the Scriptures is that it's raw and real. The bible pulls absolutely no punches when it comes to talking about suffering. In fact, the bible never glosses over the problem of pain in our lives (despite what many bad preachers today may teach at their church).
The reason I know this is because there are plenty of good, faithful people in the Scriptures that have it go really badly for them.
The problem of pain and suffering is not absent in the bible. Yes, God does have a wonderful plan for your life, but that wonderful plan is a plan that involves God being God in every aspect, in every moment in every joy and most certainly in every pain in your life.
As John Piper says, "God doesn't drive an ambulance." He doesn't arrive after the problem and say, "okay, what happened here?" No. We believe in a God that is fully aware, and fully in the trail we are faced with. Hallelujah.
Apostle Peter in 1 Peter 4:12 says it well, "Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trail you are suffering, as thought something strange were happening to you."
Job is seen here fully knowing this, and yet he is wracked with pain and sorrow. He lost everything up till this point.
What can we learn from his angst-filled response here?
1. We can be brutally honest with our given situation. Acknowledging our inabilities can stir up humility. God, this is hard, I can't do this. Saying these prayers is okay and welcome because it rightfully places us where we need to be - at the Lord's feet.
We must be honest with ourselves. Do not hold back your shame and frustration and hurt. God can take it all.
2. We have to come to an understanding of the grace of God in our lives. There is a profound mystery in why evildoers continue to prosper, while the "good" perish and suffer. But even in this distinction, we have to remember that "all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." We are all undeserving of grace and yet it was lavished upon us.
I read a quote recently which said, "the number of mercies in our lives far outnumber the sins we have committed..." What this quote reminds us is that no matter how good we are, the sins that we commit in no way are being equally matched by the justice of God. And this is because of Jesus. God doesn't owe us anything. We have to be reminded of the awe-inspiring, mysterious and profound grace of God in our lives.
3. Above all else, we must focus our eyes on Jesus and remind ourselves of the Gospel of grace that we have been purchased into for a costly, bloody price.
We must remember that above all things, God in His sovereign love for you, and in His all-knowing might, had every reason to desert us in our greatest pain - sin - and yet, gave Himself for us so that we would be reconciled to Him.
Job, while being brutally honest in this passage, would be answered by God in later passages. And in doing so, Job was met with the stark reminder that God is God and he is but a man.
Let us trust in Him, believer and never lose sight of Jesus in the midst of our suffering and pain.
Job 3:11, 12, 16, 20, 21, 22, 26
---
Quite an odd passage to dwell upon and highlight for a devotional, but what I love about the Scriptures is that it's raw and real. The bible pulls absolutely no punches when it comes to talking about suffering. In fact, the bible never glosses over the problem of pain in our lives (despite what many bad preachers today may teach at their church).
The reason I know this is because there are plenty of good, faithful people in the Scriptures that have it go really badly for them.
The problem of pain and suffering is not absent in the bible. Yes, God does have a wonderful plan for your life, but that wonderful plan is a plan that involves God being God in every aspect, in every moment in every joy and most certainly in every pain in your life.
As John Piper says, "God doesn't drive an ambulance." He doesn't arrive after the problem and say, "okay, what happened here?" No. We believe in a God that is fully aware, and fully in the trail we are faced with. Hallelujah.
Apostle Peter in 1 Peter 4:12 says it well, "Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trail you are suffering, as thought something strange were happening to you."
Job is seen here fully knowing this, and yet he is wracked with pain and sorrow. He lost everything up till this point.
What can we learn from his angst-filled response here?
1. We can be brutally honest with our given situation. Acknowledging our inabilities can stir up humility. God, this is hard, I can't do this. Saying these prayers is okay and welcome because it rightfully places us where we need to be - at the Lord's feet.
We must be honest with ourselves. Do not hold back your shame and frustration and hurt. God can take it all.
2. We have to come to an understanding of the grace of God in our lives. There is a profound mystery in why evildoers continue to prosper, while the "good" perish and suffer. But even in this distinction, we have to remember that "all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." We are all undeserving of grace and yet it was lavished upon us.
I read a quote recently which said, "the number of mercies in our lives far outnumber the sins we have committed..." What this quote reminds us is that no matter how good we are, the sins that we commit in no way are being equally matched by the justice of God. And this is because of Jesus. God doesn't owe us anything. We have to be reminded of the awe-inspiring, mysterious and profound grace of God in our lives.
We must remember that above all things, God in His sovereign love for you, and in His all-knowing might, had every reason to desert us in our greatest pain - sin - and yet, gave Himself for us so that we would be reconciled to Him.
Job, while being brutally honest in this passage, would be answered by God in later passages. And in doing so, Job was met with the stark reminder that God is God and he is but a man.
Let us trust in Him, believer and never lose sight of Jesus in the midst of our suffering and pain.
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