I wish there was a way to describe how incredibly good God is to me. He cares so much for me. He provides for me in absolutely remarkable ways. He comforts me with His presence. He surrounds me with the support of His community of believers. He even speaks to me through His Word.
But despite His goodness and despite His love, I have in myself a constant battle to trust His goodness and His love. I have to ask myself, "Why can't you just learn this? Why can't you just let it go to Him? He's never failed you. He's never messed up."
I'm left dumbfounded looking for an answer because, quite honestly, there is no answer. I have no logical reason why I can't trust God with everything in me.
This past week, my devotions found me starting the book of Job. I've read the book several times and I've heard the story on even more occasions, but if you haven't read this book, I'd encourage you to do so.
Job was a man tested by the devil. God allowed him to be tested. All of his procession were stolen. All of his sons and daughters were killed in a natural disaster. Job's own body become inflicted with boils. Job's friends condemned Job believing that he must have sinned. But Job knew his heart. He knew his actions. He knew that his heart had never strayed for God.
Job's own wife displaced the value of his human life. She told him to curse God and die. His life, to her, had lost all value.
He was a man that felt completely deserted by every living person around him. The Bible says in Job 19 that he honestly believed everything was against him.
But despite all the adversity in his life, Job said this, "As for me, I know that my Redeemer lives, and at the last He will take His stand on the earth" (Job 19:25).
Here a man who had every "right" to have a lack of faith in God, His creator, still looked to heaven and with faith, hope, and promise in his heart believed that his Redeemer still loved him. That He still cared. He believed that God still saw him.
It's so easy to look at the situations happening around us and to be overwhelmed. Life can be overwhelming and consuming.
The bills always keep coming.
There always has to be gas in the vehicles and food on the table.
Sometimes the dog has to go to the vet.
It's flu season!
There are difficult people in the world and sometimes we live with them.
It just never stops.
Those hardships that put pressure on us have a way of making us better people. Hardships grind us down to nothing, but they fuel or dependence on God. Somewhere in the midst of these overwhelming, all encompassing problems we recognize in our own strength and in our own wisdom we can do nothing.
Where is the good news in all this? There has to be some kind of hope that helps us hang on to life.
"[We] can do all things through Christ who gives us strength" (Philippians 4:13).
Today, be encouraged. God sees you. He is your creator. He is your Redeemer and His plan is always to restore. Take courage because you are not alone and you are not forgotten.
When you feel like giving up remember this. Your Redeemer lives and He will stand and defend you.
