Title: God, Why Do You Need Me?
Contents
Job 7:11-21 God, why do you have to?
In 1926, a 24-year-old young American named 'John Robert' tried to cross the continental United States by plane for the first time. However, during the flight, the plane crashed in a remote area in the Arctic. When he woke up, he found that he was being cared for by a young woman in an Eskimo house. He felt great pain. It turns out that he lost one leg and one arm when the plane crashed. The skull on the head was also cracked. One cheekbone of the face was also depressed, and the pupil of one eye was dilated. His face was also bumpy and turned into a grotesque monster in the accident.
He spent 17 years living with Eskimos in the extremely cold Arctic backcountry, where he had to fight for survival. He also married the daughter of an Eskimo voluntarily. He also gave birth to a son and a daughter. And 17 years later, he was rescued by rescue teams and returned to the United States, but no one greeted him. Rather, the world was plunged into the vortex of World War II. I barely heard the news of my hometown, but I heard the sad news that even my mother, who was alone, had already passed away.
Although it was his hometown he visited after 17 years, he could not meet anyone he knew. He felt loneliness and loneliness alone in an environment where everything had changed, and he had to leave his homeland. But no one asked him to come, and he had nowhere to go. So he misses that cold arctic backcountry. Then again, we plan a trip to the North Pole.
This story is based on a moving true story novel called 'The Journey of No Return' by 'Julie Harris', an Australian writer. In this story, the protagonist 'John Robert' asks the question, "Why me?" Her sister also wanted to become a dancer, but she got polio and cried. “Why me?” But now, in the remote Arctic, he is gripped by a sense of despair and sighs. “Why me?” We too can utter these words of lamentation when life is difficult and hardships come. “God, why do you have to?”
In today's text, the main character, Job, sighs in the midst of extreme pain. “God, why have you made me a target?” Among the multitude of people at that time, who could have suffered as much as Job did? The richest man in the East lost all his fortunes overnight. Seven sons and three daughters all died when their houses collapsed. He has sore throats all over his body, and there is no painless place. The skin is covered with maggots like clothing, wriggling and crawling.
Why on earth is this suffering coming to Job, a righteous man in the East whom God acknowledges? In the midst of suffering, Job confesses: “I will speak because of the pain of my heart, and I will complain because of the anguish of my soul. Why do you surprise me with dreams and terrify me with visions? Why do you discipline me every morning and test me every minute? How long are you going to do it? Why do you make me a target?”
I don't know if any of you have heard the testimony of Jisun Lee. A fire caused by a car accident burned her beautiful face all over her college days. Seeing the beautiful figure before the accident and the ghastly appearance of herself after the accident, she must have groaned like this at first. “God, why do you have to?”
If you look at the lives of almost all the great men in the Bible, I think they must have groaned in the wretchedness of their own destiny. Look at Adam. He was created as the lord of all things. All animals on Earth obey themselves. Adam was the ruler of the earth. But he also had problems. It was none other than loneliness. All animals had a mate, but only himself had no mate. He must have thought to himself. “God, why am I alone? Why am I the only one so lonely?”
God said, “Oh, it is not good for a man to be alone!” you thought And he gave Adam a mate. Eve was created from Adam's rib. Adam loves it so much that he shouts. “This is bone of my bones. years of life.” What does it mean? It means “You and I are one.” That means it's really valuable.
Now Adam was happy as well. When he returned home, he had a wife who would welcome him warmly. We ate together, slept together, and shared the love of the couple. But that happy time was shattered in an instant. Then his wife, Eve, fell into Satan's temptation. I ate the forbidden fruit. Because of his wife's recommendation, Adam also ate of the forbidden fruit. Then God's judgment was given. They were expelled from the Garden of Eden.
In a land where thorns and thistles sprouted, he had to sweat to survive. The couple's gold room was also broken. When something bad happens, the husband blames the wife and the wife blames the husband. It was Adam who was doing so well, and he was such a happy Adam, but in an instant, he lost sight of it. In an instant, a shadow of misfortune fell. He screams in pain. “God, why do you have to?”
I want to ask you today. Perhaps even in this place, you can turn to God and say, “God, why are you here?” And are you not sighing? Keep this in mind. Such groanings are not unique to you. You are not alone in feeling such sorrow. All the great men of faith and all things in this world feel and groan together. Regarding this, the Bible says: “We know that the whole creation groaned and suffered together until now, and not only this, but also us, even we, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan within ourselves, waiting for adoption, the redemption of our body” (Romans 8). :22-23)
Death came to all mankind because of the fall of Adam and Eve. I have a disease. The curse of thorns and thistles has come. All creatures must fight and fight for each other's survival. kill each other and die. There is hate and sadness. Pain and anguish follow. I'm not the only one suffering, and I'm not the only one suffering. It is the suffering that all animals, including humans, suffer as well. Therefore, every creature can cry out in pain. “God, why do you have to?”
This person has their own pain and problems, and that person has their own pain and problems. I have been thinking about this while praying for the members of our church these days. “Who is the happiest person in our church?” In my mind, “Are these people still happy?” And as I prayed for them, they also said, “God, why are you doing this? I found that there might be a problem. In particular, in the hearts of those who live alone after divorce, or those who have become a family of geese and remain alone in Korea, there is a pity that they will think, “God, why are you doing this?” So I began to pray earnestly for these separated families.
Ladies and gentlemen, if we do not discover God's will for the lament that everyone experiences in this world, “God, why are you doing this?” our lives will be infinitely sad and infinitely painful. We must discover something of God's will for our suffering. ‘John Robert’, the protagonist of the novel ‘The Journey of No Return’, which I first introduced, discovered God’s will in this way. This is the conclusion at the end of this book. “I don't believe in God, but if there really is a God, I want to thank him. I didn't know how happy I was to be able to go where I really should be. I thank God for that realization.”
At first, the protagonist of this novel cried out, “God, why are you doing this?” in resentment and complaint when he was in such a big accident and suffering, but now he is rather grateful to God. And looking for the title of thanks. The title of thanks to him is that there is a place to return to. Even though it is a cold Arctic remote place, where the barbarians live, I am thankful to God for allowing me to share human affection there. And I am thankful to God for giving me enlightenment so that I can be thankful.
In today's text, Job is also in pain, "God, why are you?" He complained, but later confessed: “But he knows the way I go, and after he has tested me, I will come out like gold” (Job 23:10). It records the hope of change.
Lee Ji-sun, who suffered burns all over the body introduced earlier, said at first, “God, why are you doing this? Why do I have to suffer like this? Isn't this too cruel to me?” I asked with resentment, but later I realized God's will and am giving thanks little by little. As it turns out, when we look at the great men of the Bible, it starts with “God, why are you doing this?” and later concludes with “God, thank you for making me who I am.” In other words, although it was a complaint at first, he later realized God's will and ended his life with thanksgiving.
Dear brothers and sisters, in our short life, everyone at least once asked, “God, why are you doing this?” complaining and groaning. But we are still full of complaints and do not end our lives with “God, why are you?” Rather, I cry out with a grateful heart toward God who has chosen and called one in a thousand or ten thousand sinners like me. “God, why do you have to?”
Even if it is the same sentence, the same word, we are now making this confession as thanks to God. “God, why do you love a sinner like me so much? It is too difficult to bear God's love. Thank you. thank you." Everyone, in the past, the confession of “God, why are you?” in the past is rather grateful and praised, saying, “God, why are you?” Why do you love me, Idaji?” I bless you for confessing. So, I wish you even more happiness in this foreign land.