Matt22:37-39
New Member
JOB AN EXAMPLE OF GREAT SUFFERING: Obviously I can’t help but think of this great saint and how out of all the saints in the bible he is the one who is mentioned the most when others try and “comfort” us. Maybe a tie breaker would include Jesus Himself for all the SUFFERINGS of the world He took upon Himself on the cross and how His father turned away from Him for 3 full days and 3 full nights. Anyway, I find that it is often these two who people are so quick to point you to and say, “see what they went through surely if they can persevere so can you”…My first reaction is “hey I’m not God nor am I a man”…..and ”I’m pretty sure neither Job nor Jesus suffered abuse as a child at the hands of those who were supposes to care for them. Those who were supposed to nurture them and protect them, to guide them unto the ways of the LORD.”…hopefully producing healthy adults….that is what often comes to my mind when these examples are given to me.
When you think about it, we will never know of the upbringing of many of the saints good or bad. So be careful when giving them quickly as examples to live up to. But we do know that God has our BEST in mind, no matter what our upbringing….He wants to use us and by using us we glorify Him. That’s is why we are here in the first place, to glorify God….how God determines that is His business….and one I must submit to. This TRUTH can be a hard pill to swallow if one has had an upbringing contrary to God’s best. One filled with abuse of all kinds, by authority figures who were suppose to represent God…God who is our FATHER, who is our PROVIDER, who is our NURTURER/MOTHER, who is our PROTECTOR, who is our best FRIEND, who is all the things that He wishes His human creation to imitate for we were created in His image.
Like I said I’m not God, therefore while being Christ like is all of our goal and while Job and other great saints in the bible lived lives of great faith and it still is FAITH in our creator that sustain us. How does one go about ministering to the hurting one who is suffering, how does one live by faith and not by sight? As far as we know Job, Jesus (who had no sin) and maybe Joseph son of Jacob were the few considered righteous or blameless in their reaction to injustice, pain and suffering….I would never consider myself in their league, for I can be found weak in the areas of my temper and pleasures of the flesh and I want to give up too easily sometimes….yet I often wonder how would Job’s or Joseph’s outlook be or reaction be if they never felt all the “Loving Characteristics” I mentioned attributed to God by those who raised them? I can’t help but think they had pretty normal lives, normal to their surroundings at the time. Joseph was at least his fathers favorite....They had families that loved them and were raised in a safe environment. They weren’t the Jessica Dugards of the world, or those 3 young girls found recently after ten years of captivity. Unless stated otherwise why should we think they were?....God has chosen not to reveal such things.
What He has revealed is His sovereignty in all things…That He will “work out the GOOD” as we draw close to Him and trust Him no matter what. He made us, He knows us, He loves us, He has a plan for us, He has a future for us. He wants to work in and through us, to glorify Him as imperfect as we are. Unlike Job, for this was not revealed to him, I know that the real battle is not of flesh and blood but of the powers that be….Like Job Satan was allowed to only go so far, and that was it…Satan is still UNDER GOD’S AUTHORITY and so am I. It is in knowing this that brings comfort. God will not allow us to be tempted more than we are able to handle…He will provide a way of escape if we so choose to take it. He will forgive us if we repent and ask for forgiveness, He will give us the ability to forgive others, when we don’t have it within ourselves. He will forgive us for blaming Him for all our woes and for shaking our fist at Him. Did God not have patience with all the saints and their fumbling and crumbling as long as they earnestly sought Him? And even when they didn’t, He didn’t force them to His will, but let them do as they pleased knowing that if they had only put Him first how better things would be….this is when FRUITFULNESS can take place and we can be truly blessed. I know easier said than done.
Before we hold others to such a high standard of those saints who have gone before us, let’s not be so haste to disregard where they are coming from, but HELP THEM GENTLY BACK ON THE ROAD TO WHERE GOD WANTS THEM TO BE….one of FAITH!
“For By The Grace Of God There Go I”
When you think about it, we will never know of the upbringing of many of the saints good or bad. So be careful when giving them quickly as examples to live up to. But we do know that God has our BEST in mind, no matter what our upbringing….He wants to use us and by using us we glorify Him. That’s is why we are here in the first place, to glorify God….how God determines that is His business….and one I must submit to. This TRUTH can be a hard pill to swallow if one has had an upbringing contrary to God’s best. One filled with abuse of all kinds, by authority figures who were suppose to represent God…God who is our FATHER, who is our PROVIDER, who is our NURTURER/MOTHER, who is our PROTECTOR, who is our best FRIEND, who is all the things that He wishes His human creation to imitate for we were created in His image.
Like I said I’m not God, therefore while being Christ like is all of our goal and while Job and other great saints in the bible lived lives of great faith and it still is FAITH in our creator that sustain us. How does one go about ministering to the hurting one who is suffering, how does one live by faith and not by sight? As far as we know Job, Jesus (who had no sin) and maybe Joseph son of Jacob were the few considered righteous or blameless in their reaction to injustice, pain and suffering….I would never consider myself in their league, for I can be found weak in the areas of my temper and pleasures of the flesh and I want to give up too easily sometimes….yet I often wonder how would Job’s or Joseph’s outlook be or reaction be if they never felt all the “Loving Characteristics” I mentioned attributed to God by those who raised them? I can’t help but think they had pretty normal lives, normal to their surroundings at the time. Joseph was at least his fathers favorite....They had families that loved them and were raised in a safe environment. They weren’t the Jessica Dugards of the world, or those 3 young girls found recently after ten years of captivity. Unless stated otherwise why should we think they were?....God has chosen not to reveal such things.
What He has revealed is His sovereignty in all things…That He will “work out the GOOD” as we draw close to Him and trust Him no matter what. He made us, He knows us, He loves us, He has a plan for us, He has a future for us. He wants to work in and through us, to glorify Him as imperfect as we are. Unlike Job, for this was not revealed to him, I know that the real battle is not of flesh and blood but of the powers that be….Like Job Satan was allowed to only go so far, and that was it…Satan is still UNDER GOD’S AUTHORITY and so am I. It is in knowing this that brings comfort. God will not allow us to be tempted more than we are able to handle…He will provide a way of escape if we so choose to take it. He will forgive us if we repent and ask for forgiveness, He will give us the ability to forgive others, when we don’t have it within ourselves. He will forgive us for blaming Him for all our woes and for shaking our fist at Him. Did God not have patience with all the saints and their fumbling and crumbling as long as they earnestly sought Him? And even when they didn’t, He didn’t force them to His will, but let them do as they pleased knowing that if they had only put Him first how better things would be….this is when FRUITFULNESS can take place and we can be truly blessed. I know easier said than done.
Before we hold others to such a high standard of those saints who have gone before us, let’s not be so haste to disregard where they are coming from, but HELP THEM GENTLY BACK ON THE ROAD TO WHERE GOD WANTS THEM TO BE….one of FAITH!
“For By The Grace Of God There Go I”
