Steadfast
James 5:10-11
10 As an example of suffering and patience, brothers, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord.
11 Behold, we consider those blessed who remained steadfast. You have heard of the steadfastness of Job, and you have seen the purpose of the Lord, how the Lord is compassionate and merciful.
One of the topics that has become a real hot spot for those who do not believe in God is suffering. Why would God, if He is truly loving and kind, if He is truly all-powerful, if He is truly sovereign, allow suffering among His people? It is a tough topic and entire books have been written about this subject so there is no way we can cover that can of worms adequately in a few short paragraphs. But James brings it up so we are at least going to peel the lid off of that can.
If you know the story of Job, you have to admit, it's rather a head scratcher. God and Satan get into a discussion about the righteousness of Job. Satan maintains that of course Job is righteous. God has blessed him with everything a guy could possibly want. He's Bill Gates rich, has a huge, happy family, and prestige among the people. Of course he worships the God who gave all of that to him. God then makes a bet with Satan. He allows Satan to torment Job, maintaining that Job will remain righteous. By the end of the torture, Job has lost everything; all of his riches are gone, his children are dead, and his body is covered with boils. The only thing he has left is a wife who tells him to curse God and die. (You have to love Satan's sense of humor.) Throughout the suffering, Job is visited by some friends who all give him epically bad advise. They are certain that he is a wretched sinner and is being punished by God. Job also spends his days of suffering enjoining God to explain Himself, defending his innocence. Job demands an explanation. The story ends without any explanations except for the fact that God is indeed sovereign. He created everything, sustains everything, and loves His people. That's it! No explanations from God at all. At the end of Job, God restores Job's fortune and family. And Job is left without a good explanation for his suffering. He simply remained steadfast.
The bottom line here is that Job didn't lose his faith. He discussed the situation at length with God. He complained and groaned. But he hung in there! That is the lesson. You don't have to enjoy everything that happens in your life! You just have to stay strong. To deny God because of your suffering is to say that you are God and know better than He does what your life should look like. We have been given the Holy Spirit, who walks with us through the suffering if we will but simply allow Him to do so. He may not necessarily see things our way and change what is happening, but He will remain to comfort, instruct, and bring peace in the midst of the pain. Because Jesus suffered He can empathize with ours and give us what we need.
10 As an example of suffering and patience, brothers, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord.
11 Behold, we consider those blessed who remained steadfast. You have heard of the steadfastness of Job, and you have seen the purpose of the Lord, how the Lord is compassionate and merciful.
One of the topics that has become a real hot spot for those who do not believe in God is suffering. Why would God, if He is truly loving and kind, if He is truly all-powerful, if He is truly sovereign, allow suffering among His people? It is a tough topic and entire books have been written about this subject so there is no way we can cover that can of worms adequately in a few short paragraphs. But James brings it up so we are at least going to peel the lid off of that can.
If you know the story of Job, you have to admit, it's rather a head scratcher. God and Satan get into a discussion about the righteousness of Job. Satan maintains that of course Job is righteous. God has blessed him with everything a guy could possibly want. He's Bill Gates rich, has a huge, happy family, and prestige among the people. Of course he worships the God who gave all of that to him. God then makes a bet with Satan. He allows Satan to torment Job, maintaining that Job will remain righteous. By the end of the torture, Job has lost everything; all of his riches are gone, his children are dead, and his body is covered with boils. The only thing he has left is a wife who tells him to curse God and die. (You have to love Satan's sense of humor.) Throughout the suffering, Job is visited by some friends who all give him epically bad advise. They are certain that he is a wretched sinner and is being punished by God. Job also spends his days of suffering enjoining God to explain Himself, defending his innocence. Job demands an explanation. The story ends without any explanations except for the fact that God is indeed sovereign. He created everything, sustains everything, and loves His people. That's it! No explanations from God at all. At the end of Job, God restores Job's fortune and family. And Job is left without a good explanation for his suffering. He simply remained steadfast.
The bottom line here is that Job didn't lose his faith. He discussed the situation at length with God. He complained and groaned. But he hung in there! That is the lesson. You don't have to enjoy everything that happens in your life! You just have to stay strong. To deny God because of your suffering is to say that you are God and know better than He does what your life should look like. We have been given the Holy Spirit, who walks with us through the suffering if we will but simply allow Him to do so. He may not necessarily see things our way and change what is happening, but He will remain to comfort, instruct, and bring peace in the midst of the pain. Because Jesus suffered He can empathize with ours and give us what we need.
Comments
Post a Comment