Year of the Bible: Part Seven of TwelveSample

The Choices We Make when in Pain

The first round of Satanic attacks brought incredible loss to Job regarding his family and belongings. Imagine the pain! The second round of assault, described in today’s reading, brought a new kind of pain: unrelenting physical agony upon every part of Job’s body.

Pain, loss, and disappointment bring us to a choice—one that is critical to our walk with God. One path many choose during such a season is feeling sorry for themselves, taking offense, or blaming God, as Job’s wife did. Another option is the faith-filled one: choosing to surrender our right to understand “why” and walk through the time of disappointment with the Lord, as Job did.

If we choose to cling to God with total trust that He is good regardless of our pain and disappointment, we will encounter Him in new ways and experience His hand through the valley; we will know the Person who can comfort and strengthen us. This choice plants a seed of faith that will produce fruit in your relationship with Jesus Christ and equip you, in turn, to help others.

On the other hand, if we choose to demand an explanation for our pain from the heavens before moving forward, we will miss out on the opportunity to give God a sacrifice of praise and faith and continue walking in integrity. There is no death or pain in heaven, so this earthly life is your only opportunity to trust God’s goodness during unexplained disappointment.

Question: What is your first reaction to personal pain? Does it reflect deep personal trust in Jesus?

Prayer: Meditate for a moment on the attitude that says, “No matter what, Lord, to whom else can I go?" You alone have the words of life I need in every situation. Forgive anything in me that has demanded to understand difficult circumstances before I will trust You.