FAITH THAT STANDS THE TEST

When God is all you have left, you’ll find He’s all you need

The book of Job opens by describing how wealthy and blessed Job was, and how he was an upright and blameless man who feared God. It goes on to show how Satan went before the LORD, suggesting that Job only served God because of the blessings God had given him. When Satan got permission from God, he went forth and brought a series of damage and loss in Job’s life. He lost his properties, flock, servants and his children. One moment, everything was great, and the next, it was grief.

Like Job, perhaps you are experiencing moments of testing in your life that you don’t understand. The storms of life can sometimes be overwhelming and confusing, especially when everything seems to come against you all at once. It gets even more difficult when you can’t properly process the loss.

What do you do when life seems to turn upside down on you? When going through heartbreak, loss, financial crisis or battling an illness, who do you turn to as a refuge? How do you respond to such a crisis?  Psalm 46:1 states, “God is our refuge and strength, and ever-present help in trouble.” Job seemed to have understood Psalm 46:1 and chose to stand on it. When he received news of his loss of properties and children, in grief and sorrow, he turned to God in worship and said, “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I shall depart. The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away, may the name of the LORD be praised.” – Job 1:21. When Job's faith was put to the test, he proved that his devotion and love of God were not based on wealth and the successes of life but on genuine love and reverence for God.

When our world is collapsing along with everything we’ve built on it, like Job, we can choose to hold on to one thing that will outlast every trial and storm of life, and that’s faith in Jesus. Genuine faith in Jesus endures even when our world itself is collapsing. God’s help and strength are ever-present in times of trouble, and the wisest way to respond in such times of trouble is to turn to Jesus in worship.

A lot of times, when faced with life’s challenging situations is that we respond with panic, bitterness, resentment and sometimes despair. However, with Job’s story of trial, we are encouraged to respond to life’s crisis, big or small, with worship and seeking God’s face in our messy situations.

Sometimes, in our season of suffering it may feel like we are abandoned and forgotten. Often, we begin to question where God is in our darkest moments in life. The enemy also finds an opportunity to whisper voices of despair and fear into our minds, just so we may respond to charge God with faults. However, we are encouraged in Psalm 34:18 that, “The LORD is close to the broken-hearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.”

There’s strength in knowing that even in the middle of our afflictions and suffering, God is right there with us, closer than we think. His nearness in moments of trials is almost tangible. In our lowest moments, that’s when we get to “Taste and see that the LORD is good.” – Psalm 34:8. Not only does God promise to be close when we are heartbroken, but He also promises to save. He comforts us with His gentle hands and gently he whispers to our hearts that say, ‘I am here for you.”

In the New Testament, James echoed Job's story and Psalm 34 when he wrote, “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete.” Moments of trials and testing are not punishment, but processes for us to grow deeper in faith and refine our character and focus on Jesus and be mature Christians.

Job’s story is a reminder to us that when our faith is thrown into the fire, during those moments of testing, we can fix our eyes on Jesus and still worship Him in humility. It is a process that we must all go through, from Testing, Trusting and to Triumph when it comes to trials of life. God is never distant in our pain, suffering and in tears. He’s always close, and His presence sustains us through our trying times. James invites us to count it all joy in suffering because it produces endurance, which leads to the crown of life. Worship still works even when everything falls apart. In our trials, God is preparing us for something better, an eternal crown. Hold on to Jesus, seek his face always. There’s purpose in your pain, and your perseverance will be crowned with life.