How Did We (I) Get Here?

Have you ever asked yourself how did we (I) get here? Things seemed to be going well. You were enjoying life. You had a good job, great relationship, steady income, peace on all sides, and thriving spiritual life. You were enjoying your daily quiet times with the Lord, serving your community, family, and church, and then all of a sudden…BAM. Things changed. Everything around you started to collapse. Day by day, month by month, things appeared to fall apart suddenly but slowly. Maybe you suffered a bereavement, experienced sickness, lost your job, faced challenges with your children, developed anxiety, felt abandoned by your church, and distant from the Lord. If you have ever read the story of Job, this sounds a lot like what he went through.

All too often when we experience such challenges we have one of two responses, ‘It’s all my fault’, or ‘Lord, what have I done for you to test me like this?’. But in today’s passage, we see a third option. It’s Satan’s fault. Does this mean that whenever we face challenges Satan is the cause of all our problems? Yes and no. We live in a fallen world. Some of our problems will stem from that. Others will be because of our own actions and we are simply bearing the consequences. At times the Lord might be cleansing our hearts and revealing our true selves to ourselves. But there will definitely be times when the cause of our problems is Satan.

In the midst of these challenges, notice that God still backs us, still believes in us, and knows our motives. Every time Satan tested Job, the Lord was sure that Job would come through on the other side. The thing we need to remember during such difficult times is that the Lord is faithful. He will bring us to our expected end and will hear us when we call on him.

Questions for reflection: Do I trust God? Do I believe that God will bring me to an expected end? Have I prayed for help as I navigate my Job Season?