A Heavenly Perspective

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"Through all this Job did not sin nor did he blame God." - (Job 1:22, NASB)

      Job's story is difficult to read for many. We all know that evil exists in this world, but why God would allow it is puzzling. As a matter of fact, there is a whole realm of study, called theodicy, that is devoted to answering the question, "Why does God allow evil?" I'm sorry, but this post is not going to answer that question for you. I want to focus on our response to difficult circumstances. Job lost nearly everything. The Bible records that he had 7,000 sheep, 3,000 camels, 1,000 oxen, 500 female donkeys, and also many servants. In addition, he had seven sons and three daughters. Minus the four servants who escaped disaster to tell Job what had happened, Job lost all of it. Let that sink in for a moment. We often read the Bible so quickly that we miss the impact. Job lost everything of value to him, besides his wife.  His possessions were gone, but even worse, his children were all taken from him in a moment. He was broken and hurting beyond measure (1:20). Yet his attitude is perplexing to us, "...The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away. Blessed be the name of the LORD." (1:21) How is this possible? He walked with God.
     Job could have easily pointed a finger at God for all the evil that happened to him. Yet even though Job was broken from his loss, he refused to accuse the LORD, but rather worshipped Him. When we walk with God we begin to develop a heavenly perspective. The things of this world, whether bounty and blessing, or pain and suffering, are all temporal in nature. We realize that pain will come and go, and so will riches. The key is knowing the LORD. A vibrant walk with Jesus will keep us steady in any circumstance, even pain and suffering. If you have not done so already, then begin today cultivating a faithful walk with Jesus. You will be amazed at just how different you will begin to see the world around you.

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