OCTOBER 22: CONDEMNING FRIENDS OF JOB

Nicholas James Vujicic an Australian Christian Evangelist was born without arms and legs. Vujicic has tetra-amelia syndrome, a disorder characterised by the absence of arms and legs. He travels and speaks about his testimony of faith in Jesus Christ. His ministry is known as “Life Without Limbs”. Vujicic travels and shares his story all over the world. He is married and blessed with two sons and two daughters.

I wonder how his mother felt when she had this physically challenged baby. Her resolve to give him a normal life contributed to the resilience he displayed in life. Some others with fewer struggles in life may have given up thinking God has abandoned them.

Job faced a set of terrible tragedies too and people around him could not understand why God would allow all these calamities to happen without a reason. Even his wife felt the pain was too much and advised him to curse God and die. His friends could not see why a good God would allow Job to face all the trials if not that he had sinned. Gods’ wrath was against them for falsely accusing Job. They were asked to offer sacrifice to God, with the condition that Job should pray for them before God would be pleased with them.

God did not promise us a life of ease, our memory verse says, “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; And through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, Nor shall the flame scorch you”. Meaning that situations will come like floods of water threatening to swallow us, some will be like fire almost consuming us, yet He promised to be with us through them. God allows those challenges to strengthen our faith and to bring glory to his name.

Maybe you have stood in the position of Job’s friend when someone faced loss of loved ones or loss of means of living or terminal sickness. You start quoting bible verses and condemning them, we are not in the position to pass judgement without any proof or we may be guilty of bearing false witness. More than ever, this is the time to draw close to the people going through tough times, our presence and comfort will encourage them. Let us learn to be a support for others, not try to understand or analyse the problem for them. Silence is golden at the trying times, lift them up in prayers and give them your support both emotional and material. It may be your turn tomorrow and who will stand by you? Would you like to be condemned because of your trials, how many people will you explain to about what you did not do?

It is preferable to surrender all things to God. Please choose your battles wisely, some are actually not for you to know or fight. Let God have his way rather than stand in his way so you do not end up like Job’s friends.

Prayer: God the creator of heaven and earth, you know all things, in you we live and move, and have our being. Father please be our strength when we are weak, when challenges of life confront us please be with us, help us to come through without losing our faith. We pray for as many as are going through one struggle or the other, please come and intervene and deliver them from the trials, that at the end of the day, all will bring Glory to your name, Amen.