Title: Love Through Perseverance (Job 42:1-6)
Content Many believers live with many illusions of faith regardless of God's will. And the beginning of that vision is that it begins with the interpretation of God's attributes as human desires. Everyone wants peace, contentment and security. And furthermore, there is a desire to expect relative success more than some people. But the reality is that we don't have the ability to accomplish all of that. This is where many believers begin to have false expectations. “God is all-powerful and loves me. Therefore, I cannot fulfill my desires, but God can.” It is to have the illusion of faith by imagining the resultant life with a subjective belief. And he concludes that the condition for the fulfillment of the vision lies in his own faith.
The fact that we experience various difficulties in life is probably proof that we are human. And since all human beings are lacking, there will be no one who does not feel difficulties. As a result, we are very tolerant of our least desires. In other words, we take for granted the desire to escape from the difficulties we face, not the expectations for better conditions than others. We lose our gratitude to God and the joy of faith when our reality is judged to be difficult. And we say that if I really want to live a happy life, God has to solve my problems. The Bible, of course, tells us that God has mercy on human needs. However, the Bible says that it is not a simple solution, but that it is planning the development of a certain personality. In other words, even the people of God face difficulties on this earth, so we need to have the ability to discern when we face difficulties.
Therefore, the Bible is asking God's people to persevere. The reason many believers do not enjoy even though they have faith is because they live with faith that has lost patience. Belief is measured by the reality of persevering, and true faith is measured by the attitude of perseverance.
Many models for this are recorded in the Bible, but let's take a look at our realistic beliefs by considering the representative person, Job.
We should listen to the voice that is trying to speak to us through Job's life by thinking about the problem of Job's suffering.
Job's suffering began suddenly one day. As with most of our suffering, it was an unexpected challenge. The death of a child, loss of property, loss of faith and social honor, the curse of a wife and departure, and physical illness, which can be said to be the most painful human beings. and misunderstandings of friends.
We have to think about the feelings of Job, who is experiencing everything that human beings can suffer in an instant. However, the real reason Job suffered was because he wondered what God wanted to say to him. Yet, Job never glorified or bluffed his sufferings. He accepted pain as pain.
But he never distrusted or resented God. Rather, he was interested in the voice of God speaking through this suffering.
Eventually, he discovers the will of God. And the situation is reversed and the curtain of the catastrophe comes to an end. What the hell did Job find in that great suffering and how did he find it? And how has Job's life changed after that?
1. Job's conclusion through suffering (Job 42:1-6)
When Job was arguing with his friends in his suffering, God appeared to him and gave him a word. Then Job said of himself:
“I am lowly; what can I answer you? I cover my mouth with my hand. I have spoken once or twice, and I will not add to it again, nor will I answer it” (Job 40:4-5). And in today's text, we see a scene where Job confesses to himself in the form of repentance.
Can our common sense discover what the hell Job did wrong?
But what on earth did Job repent of?
He had found deep within himself the pain of not trusting God completely. He did not blame God, but he did not completely believe in God. So he panicked and made excuses for himself.
As soon as Job realizes his folly, he gives up any more pleading before God and begins to repent in dust and ashes. It didn't matter what was missing from him or where he was now. He experiences greater maturity of faith and character in the midst of suffering. Job's suffering was by no means wasted.
2. How did Job find the secret?
Looking at the confessions flowing throughout the book of Job, Job never gave up his faith in the midst of difficulties. He was patient. He did not blame God, nor did he doubt his faith. Job endured until he realized it. We are really weak in patience. Rather, it is too hasty. We give up our faith too soon when we speak of it. When we speak of God's love, we do not wait for that love to appear.
So we think about it in faith and solve it humanly. We give up the best and choose the next best. And we console ourselves by being wise. Can such a believer experience God's intervention?
We should remember that Job endured to the end even in the worst suffering of his life.
3. The result of perseverance
And what happened to Job?
We find that the result of Job, who blamed himself and gave up all excuses, is appearing in a new life that goes beyond our common sense.
Job's life is full of new beginnings. It is recorded that he met a new woman instead of the wife who cursed him, had more children, and lived a life that others envied in the world.
We have one thing to think about here.
It is a thought about the nature of suffering in God's children and the attitude toward it.
Dear brothers and sisters!
It is an illusion that we will live on this earth without any difficulties. Rather, the Bible asks us to be wise when we live in this world. If we truly believe in God, God will reveal His existence through us.
We will have to make sure that our life is a life with promises and results.
If any of you are suffering, think of Job's suffering. And I hope you understand the principle of Job's blessing.
What we need now is not despair over worldly things, but discernment of God's will. Our love will be evidenced by the maturity through this training. I will pray.