Trusting God no matter what!

The Bible gives us impressive examples of people who gave glory to God in suffering. Just think of Job. What did he do after his possessions and even his children were taken from him?  

He said, “The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD.” (Job 1:21).  

We can assume that this was certainly not easy for him. It may well be that he first needed some time to voice these words. But because he did it, he honoured God with submission and meekness—and left us an example by it. 

Job looked to God in his distress, and that made him calm. He did not say, “The Chaldeans have taken,” but, “The LORD has taken.” He saw God behind the circumstances. 

But Job was not perfect either. Later, when he was smitten with boils and sores by Satan, when his friends spoke unkind words to him, and when the sufferings dragged on and on, bitterness arose in his heart. This led him to begin to reproach God.  

Especially when sufferings drag on for a long time and the burden does not get any lighter, it takes a lot of grace not to become bitter, but to have an internal ‘yes’ to God’s ways with us again and again.

Even when misfortune suddenly strikes, the Lord understands that such events are accompanied by sadness, bewilderment and disappointment. He does not expect us to always praise Him on the spot in such situations and to be immediately completely calm about it.  

But He wants to help us not to become bitter because of such blows and not to give up! It is very precious to God when we say ‘yes’ to the things He allows us to go through and has even provided for us! 

J.P.S.