Questioning God in the midst of life's circumstances?

Today’s reading: Job 9, Job 10, Acts 13, Acts 14 NIV     

SCRIPTURE
“how can mere mortals prove their innocence before God?” - Job 9:2 NIV

OBSERVATION

Good question Job!  How, can you ask that in the midst of your circumstances?

Ever been confused in the midst of your circumstances?  I bet Job was.  Job’s story, is one of his trials at the hands of Satan, in the face of life’s darkest challenges, his discussions with friends on the origins and nature of his suffering, his challenge to God, and finally a response from God. The book is a didactic poem or a poem that appeals more to reason which is set in conversational language. The over-riding and oft-asked questions asked in the book of Job are, "Why do the righteous suffer?" “Do we really have the freedom to choose?”  “Do God really hear and care for us in the midst of our suffering, trails, hardships, etc...?” “Why do I feel like God is no-where to be found at times?”  etc.... ....

This morning I read a short story on Facebook that an old friend Sarah Lee Jimenez (formerly Sarah Atkinson) posted entitled, “When your hut is on Fire.”

The only survivor of a shipwreck was washed up on a small, uninhabited island. He prayed feverishly for God to rescue him. Every day he scanned the horizon for help, but none seemed forthcoming.

Exhausted, he eventually managed to build a little hut out of driftwood to protect himself from the elements, and to store his few possessions.One day, after scavenging for food, he arrived home to find his little hut in flames, with smoke rolling up to the sky. He felt the worst had happened, and everything was lost.

He was stunned with disbelief, grief, and anger. He cried out, "God! How could you do this to me?" Early the next day, he was awakened by the sound of a ship approaching the island!It had come to rescue him! "How did you know I was here?" asked the weary man of his rescuers. "We saw your smoke signal," they replied.

Moral of the Story:
It's easy to get discouraged when things are going bad or things have caused undue stress, but we shouldn't lose heart, because God is at work in our lives, even in the midst of our pain, suffering, or stress. Remember that the next time your little hut seems to be burning to the ground, it just may be a smoke signal that summons the Grace of God.

Today, I’ve been reminded that in the face of discouragement I’m the only one that can change my perception, viewpoint, state of mind, emotional state, and spiritual state.  How? Honestly.... Holding fast to God & not tossing in towel.  Over the last four years, I’ve walked alongside my wife through post dramatic stress disordered, unemployment, relocation, the loss of family members, a dislocated shoulder injury (no ins to pay), our sons mountain bike accident, and just weeks ago my wife, two children, our nephew where rear ended in a car accident (all are okay).... through all that life seemed to uncaringly roll on and over me at times.... 

APPLICATION

Get up and give life both barrels; especially, when I’m feeling totally dismayed! 

(Someday’s that equal simple getting up, breathing, and going for a walk)

1. Hold fast to God’s word via daily interacting with Him - through journaling (interaction).
2. Exorcise.  Why? To feel good, burn off stress, release adrenaline, self-care, and because it fills me up.
3. Hang around others that “fill me up” verses “deplete” me.
4. Live within the “Margins” of life - allowing time to breathe and walk.
5. Continue to fight and be a dream chaser. (Personal list: Husband, Father, Son, Friend, Care, Education, Sprint, Tin, & Olympia Triathlons, Soccer, Missionary, Home owner, etc...)
6. Process things within forward thinking (pausing and fast forwarding the tape prior to making a decision w/ self, family, and trusted friends)
7. Remember: Why do we fall?  So that we can learn to pick ourselves up....
8. Why is life so challenging and hard at times?  Because it is.... .... and God never promise anything different.

PRAYER 

Lord, at time I feel so dismayed!  I ask that you would help me to listen and obey during the best and worst of times that I might grow in my knowledge, devotion, and love of you. Help me continue to to step out in faith as I hold fast to You in the midst of reality. Holding fast to You no matter what life tosses at me.  Here I am once again trusting You with my life, family, and future.... - Trevor

Additional Background on Job:

The book of Job tells the story of an extremely righteous man named Job, who was very prosperous and had seven sons and three daughters. Constantly fearing that his sons may have sinned and "cursed God in their hearts", he habitually offered burnt offerings as a pardon for their sins. The "sons of God" and Satan (literally "the adversary") present themselves to God, and God asks Satan his opinion on Job. Satan answers that Job is pious only because God has put a "wall around" him and "blessed" his favorite servant with prosperity, but if he lost his possessions, then he would curse God. God gives Satan permission to test Job's righteousness.

All of Job's possessions are destroyed; the 500 yoke of oxen and 500 donkeys carried off by Sabeans, the 7000 sheep were burned up by 'The fire of God which fell from the sky,' the 3000 camels were stolen by the Chaldeans and the house of the firstborn collapsed, due to a mighty wind, killing all of Job's offspring, but Job does not curse God but instead shaves his head, tears his clothes and says, "Naked I came out of my mother's womb, and naked shall I return: Lord has given, and Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of Lord."

As Job endures these calamities without reproaching God, Satan solicits permission to afflict his person as well, and God says, "Behold, he is in your hand, but don't touch his life." Satan, therefore, smites him with dreadful boils, and Job, seated in ashes, scrapes his skin with broken pottery. His wife prompts him to "curse God, and die" but Job answers, "You speak as one of the foolish speaks. Moreover, shall we receive good from God and shall not receive evil?"

Three friends of Job, Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite, come to console him. (A fourth, Elihu the Buzite (Heb: Alieua ben Barakal the Buzite), begins talking in Chapter 32 and plays a significant role in the dialogue, but his arrival is not described). The friends spend seven days sitting on the ground with Job, without saying anything to him because they see that he is suffering and in much pain. Job at last breaks his silence and "curses the day he was born."

God responds saying that there are so many things Job does not know about how this world was formed or how nature works, that Job should consider God as being greater than the thunderstorm and strong enough to pull in the leviathan with a fishhook. God then rebukes the three friends and says, "I am angry with you....you have not spoken of me what is right."

The story ends happily with Job restored to health, with a new family and twice as much livestock.

What would be your life application to this text?