I know I mentioned before that I’m attending BSF (Bible Study Fellowship) and learning about Genesis. It’s been such a great study and we’re only 3 wks into it! At the same time I’m also doing a study on the book of Job.

Kay Arthur has a study called TRUSTING GOD IN TIMES OF ADVERSITY and it’s been super great. I’m sure there are some of you out there who have already done this study–it certainly isn’t new.

Now, I’ve studied Job before. I knew he was a righteous man who owned a lot of camels and donkeys.

I knew that Satan challenged God regarding Job only being faithful because God had blessed him, and I remembered that a house had fallen on his children and killed them all. In Kansas we were well aware that during tornado season this wasn’t at all an impossibility so this story seemed to resonate with us.

As I’ve been pouring over the study this time, however, I’m truly moved by Job’s love of God. Even when Job loses everything it says that he tore his robe and shaved his head as was customary with mourning, but then he falls on his face and worships God.

 I think of the minor upsets in my own life and cannot say that I’m so faithful. I wish I could. Unfortunately when bad things happen worship isn’t the first thought on my mind. Instead, I usually have one thing on my mind and that’s to ask God, “Why?”  As if by knowing the reason it might ease the pain or change the circumstances.

Job is teaching me a great deal about humbling myself before God. Seeing Job’s example has given me pause for reflexion. He loses his stock and possessions, his servants and his children. His wife suggests he curse God and die, but Job tells her she’s, “talking as a foolish woman.” He asks her if they shouldn’t take both good and trouble from God?”

So often it’s hard to understand the “why”, but with the help of the Word, we can rest in God’s faithfulness. Like Job I want to deal with adversity and not sin or charge God with wrongdoing. I want to be able to say,

“The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away. Blessed be the name of the Lord.”

Blessings