Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him.
(Job 13:15a NKJV)
I yearned to believe the words I uttered, “Lord, Your will be done.” As soon as the words escaped my mouth, I wanted to take them back. What if God allowed my husband to die from leukemia? What if God’s plan meant I’d never Hold my prodigal close again? What if I never escape the darkness of depression? Did faithful saints of the Bible struggle with doubt?
A storm brewed within Abraham as he journeyed to Mount Moriah. For three days, he battled with God’s command to sacrifice his son, Isaac. Abraham’s faith ruled over his doubts. His unwavering trust in God convinced him that God had a plan, possibly a resurrection.
What thoughts raced through Abraham’s mind as he arranged the wood on the altar? As he lifted the knife over Isaac, God interrupted him. Abraham had passed the test, and God provided a ram, caught in the thicket, for the sacrifice. Abraham and Isaac rejoiced as they made their trip home.
Job suffered devastating losses. His livestock, his servants, and all of his children were killed. Then God allowed the devil to attack Job’s body with miserable boils.
Job’s heart broke as His wife, filled with bitterness, suggested he should curse God and die. His heartless friends filled his head with discouragement. They insisted that Job had sinned. Only a heinous sin could have caused all his suffering. In an attempt to prove his righteousness, Job began questioning God. Why had he endured all this heartache?
God spoke personally to Job, but he couldn’t respond to an infinite, sovereign God. Job’s suffering and even his questioning opened his eyes to a new perspective about God. One he would have missed if not for his trial. As he declared:
“I have heard of You by the hearing of the ear,
But now my eye sees You.”
(Job 42:5 NKJV)
Friend, trouble has visited you. Illness, loss, or depression. Broken relationships, broken finances, and broken hearts. We search to find answers, but perhaps the better question is: do we trust God with our suffering?
I haven’t always possessed the faith that trusts God in the dark. Even now, I can’t tell you I’d never question God, but I have matured. Your faith has grown too, sweet friend. When trouble greets us, we can be assured that our suffering passes through God’s fingers before it reaches us. No devil or demon can lay one finger on us without God’s permission.
God is sovereign over our suffering.
Yes, tears will fall again. My heart will ache, but I am secure in the nail scarred hand of Jesus Christ.
When I feast on these truths, I can trust God with my suffering. What about you? Are you in the midst of a crisis right now? Is your faith being stretched? Just keep on trusting the one who holds you in the palm of His hand.
Dear Lord, Suffering gets scary. I want to trust You wholeheartedly. Lord, help my unbelief! Help me navigate this storm. Accomplish Your purpose for my life. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
DIG DEEPER
HIKING THE TRAIL
People who live on the coast board up before a storm. They sandbag before the storm, and they evacuate before the storm. Now is the time to pray for the faith you will need for your next storm.
RELATED RESOURCE
Are you a woman seeking stronger faith? Then I am glad you are here today. Join us in May as I lead a group of women through the Walking by Faith Bible Study. It costs nothing to join. No emails taking up your valuable time either. Just join my Facebook group. All you will need is in the group, and you are free to leave whenever you want, but I know you are going to want to stay.
Plus, as a group member, you will receive a discount on the book we will use for the study. Join here!
Originally posted on April 30, 2021 @ 3:00 am
I have weathered many storms in my life and as unpleasant as each one was i am better for the storm. Stronger and wiser after it has passed.
What an amazing testimony! Praise the Lord!