Think you've had a bad day?

Have you ever had a bad day, a bad week, a bad month or even a bad year? The man Job in the Old Testament had it much worse. He not only lost his wealth, he lost his children, and he lost the support from his friends who tried to convince him that he had sinned somehow and needed to repent, along with his wife who wanted him to curse God and die.

We’ve all had times of trouble and for differing lengths of time, and we’ve spent time with friends and spouses trying to figure out why these things are happening and how to overcome these difficulties. Most of the book of Job is consumed with Job’s friends trying to convince Job about some secret sin that he had committed and needed only to repent. Meanwhile Job strongly defends his righteousness and desires a day in court before the Almighty to ask him why he’s letting these bad things happen to him.

The last few chapters of the book, Job gets his day in court with God along with his friends. God explains in a very convincing way that God is the Almighty and Job is not. In the last chapter of the book, Job repents, not of sin, but for the way he treated God. Job 42:6: “Therefore I despise myself and repent in dust and ashes,” and God forgives him but chastises his friends for their advice to Job through his trials.

What are we to learn about our trials and difficulties from this book of the Holy Scriptures? First, God is the Almighty God, and He decides what happens in our lives. Second, why did God put Job up to Satan to test him in the first place? He did it for the same reasons He puts us up against Satan as well; it’s to discipline us and to make us stronger! Yes, God lets bad things happen to good people in order to discipline them to make them stronger.

In the book of I Peter 5:6-11 in the New Testament, it explains why God lets bad things happen to His people and what our response should be. I Peter 5:6-11 says, “Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings.

“And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. To him be the power for ever and ever. Amen.”

God lifts up every saint to be tested and disciplined in order to make them stronger. Satan went after Job just like he goes after you and me to turn us from the Lord. One important learning in this text of scripture that helps us in our battle against Satan is that we must humble ourselves, just like Job, and cast all our anxiety on God, and after a certain amount of time, He will lift us up and bless us just like He did Job.

Another learning in this text is for us to gain strength from the fact that our brothers and sisters in the Lord around the world are suffering just like we are. We are not alone and need to lean not only on God, but each other as well. I want to encourage everyone to reach out to a brother or sister that you know is struggling and help them, pray with them, just be there for them. Someday, you may need someone to lift you up as well. Stay faithful in the Lord my brothers and sisters!

We invite you to join us at College Hill Church of Christ, 1102 College Avenue, in Alva each and every Sunday morning at 10:30 a.m. for worship.