Sept 11

It's an appropriate day to talk about suffering. We will never forget the events of this day.

Job wrestles with suffering on a personal level as we experienced on a national level. He is not afraid to question, to probe.....he even complains (to a point). But he always keeps God his focus. The focus is not his suffering. If we had been writing it, I'm sure could have gone on and on and on about our sufferening! I know I could have especially if involved losing children and severe physical pain. It would be hard to have your focus off that for even a second.

We are given enough details of the suffering to understand it, but not enough to wallow in it. The focus turns quickly back to God. In Job 12:13-15, Job expounds of God's wisdom, power and providence. He realizes his place, that he (Job) is not God. This may sound rather obvious but you would be suprised how many discussions I have with people about God that really amount to the fact that they have a better idea on how to run the world. "Why doesn't God __________". I think it's ok to question and obviously Job had a lot of questions, but you have to start and end at point where you know that even though you don't understand and that you may never understand, that God does know what He's doing. He's proved it over and over and over. So rest and trust in it.

I marvel at Job's monumental faith that says, "Though he slay me, I will trust Him........indeed this will turn out for my deliverance" (Job 13:15-16) He didn't have the benifit of being able to read the scriptures in the way we do today. He didn't have hundreds of Christian books and biographies of martyrs to read that could strengthen his faith. He didn't have the Holy Spirit (the Comforter) in the same way we do today. But, he made up his mind to keep his focus on God, not on his circumstance or the people around him. Awesome lessons.