What Job doesn't say

I'm struck by the fact that even through all his anguish and distress Job hasn't said "Lord, I believe but help my unbelief".  He has never doubted the sovereignty of God.  His faith in who the Lord is has remained strong.  He has been angry at the Lord.  He has shaken his fist at God. He has questioned why God is doing what He is doing but Job has never doubted that God is still God.  Job's faith has remained strong and in fact, in chapter 19:25-27 he says:

 ²⁵ I know that my Redeemer lives,
       and that in the end he will stand upon the earth. 
 ²⁶ And after my skin has been destroyed,
       yet in my flesh I will see God;
 ²⁷ I myself will see him
       with my own eyes—I, and not another.
       How my heart yearns within me!

His heart still yearned to see the Lord.  Now that is faith!  He may not have understood what was happening to him but he never doubted that God was still on the throne.  He never wavered in his devotion to the Lord.  Through it all he still proclaimed that his Redeemer lived!

Could we do the same?  Could we play the hand that Job was dealt and still say that our Redeemer lives and that our heart YEARNS to see Him?  And Job didn't mean that he yearned to see the Lord so he could tell Him a thing or two or punch Him or scream at Him.  No!  He yearned to see his Savior.  The God he loved wholly and completely.  Yes, Job had questions.  Yes, Job wanted answers but in the end, more than anything his heart still yearned to see his Lord!

No matter what his friends said or how many times they accused him of being wicked or tried to get him to admit sin...Job never gave in or gave up.  In Job 23:10 he says

¹⁰ But he knows the way that I take;
       when he has tested me, I will come forth as gold.

He believed in his Lord no matter what the test was.  He knew that after this 'fire' he would come out like gold.  His character was being changed.  He was terrified as chapter 23 goes on to show and rightly so.  I'd be a little freaked out too if I was Job.  He never thought what had already happened to him ever would happen, so I'm sure he was terrified about what else might lie ahead for him. But he never turned his back on God.  He never denounced his faith.  He never gave in.  He stood firm and fast in his love for the Lord even through all his fear.

What is our reaction when trials and tribulations come our way?  Do we start questioning our faith?  Do we doubt God?  Or do we yearn for him more?  Do we stand firm in the fact that God is on the throne no matter how things may appear?

How we have reacted to troubles in the past is just that, the past.  From today on we can choose to have an attitude of stead fast faith like Job.  Just like Job, we may have no idea why God is allowing things to happen in our life but we do know that God is on the throne.

He loves us with an everlasting love that reaches far beyond our time here on earth.  He loves us with eternity in mind, not just the temporary.  He loves us with our character in mind not just blessings.  His love sees us with all the puzzle pieces of our life put together not from our perspective of only seeing one piece at a time. We may not see the completed puzzle but God does.

We have to choose to trust Him no matter what.  Will you make that choice?  We will probably have to make that choice over and over and over again because life is hard and we get distracted.  It is easy to focus on our troubles, I know I have certainly done that my fair share.  We forget to continually turn our eyes back to the Lord, but if we ask Him to, God will bring Job to our memory when we face trials.  We can make the choice to yearn for our Lord no matter what.