I’m sure if you’re anything like me, you’ve found yourself in a moment or maybe even a season where everything feels like it’s going wrong. Those seasons where it seems like it’s just one thing after another after another coming against you and you’re not sure how much more you can take. Often in these times our tendency is to compare our experience with Job’s, and maybe for good reason at times. However, often times in doing this, we skip over so much of the story of Job, and therefore miss some important things God may be trying to teach us.
Do you know how many chapters there are in the book of Job? As I’m sure you can gather by my title, the answer is 42. This is the thought that’s been weighing on my heart as I’ve been studying the book of Job in my devotions. You see, often times when we talk about Job we focus on the first few chapters which details the events of Job’s loss and then we skip to the end of chapter 42 where God blesses him with more than he ever had. All the while missing so many ways God reveals himself between the two places. You see we tend to do the same thing with the battle we face. We tend to have the attitude of “okay God, I’ve stayed true as it all went wrong, now when are you gonna bless me?”. Again by doing this, we miss out on so much in between. As we study the book of Job, we find throughout the book different places where God reveals his sovereignty, wisdom, omnipotence, and his love. We also see different character developments in Job himself. I believe the same can be true in our lives if we let it. God has a much bigger plan in each and every one of our trials than we often see.
Study the book of Job and ask yourself this question. Would the story be the same if God had restored Job in only chapter 3, 4, or 5? Obviously most would answer no. We can see from our perspective what God was trying to teach not only Job, but all of us as well. Now let me pose a harder question. Would you really be where God wants you to be if he stopped your trial when you felt like he should? A hard question, but one I have recently had to wrestle with myself and can honestly say my answer would be a resounding no. To be transparent, there have been a lot of things I’ve had to go through this year that I don’t have answers for. There have been times that I have found myself face down on the floor asking God what his plan was in all of this. However, looking back over the last few months, I can say without a doubt I have seen Gods sovereignty shown in my life. I’ve experienced those moments where there was nothing I could do but trust him, and I’ve seen him provide every time. I’ve experienced the day to day where even though the problem may still be there, I can feel him drawing me closer through it. Looking back over the last few months I can honestly say I’m closer to him now than I was only a few months ago. The trial may be far from over, but every day I see just a little bit more of the God who is walking through it with me.
You see in the story of Job, a lot of things happened between the first few chapters and Job’s blessing in chapter 42. He became closer to God. He got to truly know his friends, both the good and bad. We see conversations that God had about Job. We see God show his sovereignty again and again. We see Job’s desire for wisdom, and God’s answer of his request. Sometimes we can’t see what God is doing in the middle of our trial, but there is never a day that goes by in which he’s not working for us. Maybe God is still trying to draw you closer through this. Maybe he’s proving your faith. Maybe he’s using your trial to reveal himself to others around you.
I realize trials can be hard, and it’s uncomfortable when you’re still looking for God to make a way out. I’m also thankful for the promise that we have that God will make a way out. My prayer is however, instead of simply looking for the way out, that I would seek after Him through every chapter in between. I may not know how many chapters my trial may contain, but I know the author and I pray that he would reveal himself in each chapter. Not only to me, but to any of those around me that may be reading it as well.