Oh, Job, you’ve never sounded quite so pitiful.

This is the first time I’ve read this particular book in the Bible and actually felt a little compassion for his friends.

Job begs for pity as if no one in the world has ever suffered quite like him.

He looks around at the ones he calls “the wicked” and can’t understand why their lives seem so easy.

It becomes more and more obvious –

Job believes his attempt at a righteous life should result in a life filled with blessings,

as if God owes him some sort of reward for good behavior.

Job would have been a great member of a health-and-wealth congregation.

Not that God is unable to bring blessings into Job’s life,

but to believe he has somehow earned an easy life is a whole other thing.

_________

Years ago, I read a book by Jill Briscoe entitled Eight Choices that Can Change a Woman’s Life.

In this book she says that when faced with a difficult situation in life,  Christian women should not ask the question, “Why me?”

but rather, “Why not me?”

Life isn’t fair.

Why should all the fairness go to those who walk with a living Hope?

How can God show His faithfulness unless the world sees His children facing times (just like them) of wondering where in the world He is?

Job is in a “Why me?” state this morning,

and I’m finding him a little unnerving.

No wonder his friends seem a little annoyed.

I’ve gotten in a funk before, too, though.

I’ve reached this same state of self-pity.

And I’m sure my friends have found my company anything but uplifting.

I can remember times when I looked around and wondered why so-and-so seemed to have everything go their way

or how a mom who didn’t take care of herself during pregnancy could give birth to a healthy child.

Self-pity is never attractive.

And would I really want anyone else to suffer?

The truth is “the rain falls on the just and the unjust.” (Matt. 5:45)

And that’s just the way it is.

I’m on Day Nine in Jennie Allen’s book, Made for This.

“Surrender is Scary”

It really is.

Because loving God and living for Him doesn’t guarantee an easy life.

For a seed to bear fruit, it must first die.

And living for God means dying to ourselves every single morning.

In Matthew 16, Jesus says,

“If anyone would come after me,

let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. 

 For whoever would save his life will lose it,

but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.”

I’m not sure what God is calling you to let go of this morning.

I’m not sure what He’s asking you to trust Him with.

But I do know this.

If you let go and trust Him,

He promises to make all things beautiful in His time.

I don’t love everything about my life story,

but I do love Him.

And even when I fight Him tooth and nail,

I do believe I was somehow and for some reason “Made for This,”

and I am thankful.

Surrender is scary,

but not surrendering is too.

Job is going to learn that lesson,

just like I did,

very soon.

Surrender your life to Him today –

every part of it –

and watch what happens next.

Listen in today on iHeartRadio for Episode 12 of the My Heart His Words podcast

and hear how the Holy Spirit and a changed perspective

truly can change everything about your life.

 

https://www.iheart.com/podcast/256-my-heart-his-words-30945210/