Then Job replied to the LORD: “I know that you can do all things; no purpose of yours can be thwarted. You asked, ‘Who is this that obscures my plans without knowledge?’ Surely, I spoke of things I did not understand, things too wonderful for me to know.
Job 42:1-3

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, not lacking anything. 
James 1:2-4

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My dad had a little porcelain statue that sat on his desk in our childhood home. It was a man sitting under a tree, and a little blue bird was above him on a branch looking down at him. Engraved at the base of the statue was, “Go ahead, everyone else does.” 

As a small child, I was confused by what this represented, so I asked him one day.

He laughed and asked me, “What happens to my car when I park it under the tree in the driveway?”

I giggle and scrunch my face. “Dad! Oh!” 

“Bingo!”

Lately, I have been feeling like the person in the statue. I am in my Job era. It’s been a rough season, and I feel down on my luck. Day after day passes and more goes wrong then goes right, and despite my best efforts to fill each day with positivity and a grateful heart, I end the day feeling defeated and stuck. Words from loved ones are received and appreciated, but I remain doubtful and almost inconsolable.  During times like these, we can feel like we are dipping our feet in the depths of hopelessness, grasping onto the vines of God’s love to lift us from despair. 

Job had everything stripped away; his children perished, his health rapidly declined, his livelihood—his entire fleet of livestock, all gone. His friends tried to console him and help him find where he went wrong—why he was being punished. His wife encouraged him to stop having faith in a God who would let this happen to him. But, despite everything, his faith in God persevered. In the end, Job came out of it fully restored. Not only restored, but everything that was stripped away from him was returned to him ten-fold, and he lived a very long and prosperous life. Job’s story is one of hope. When we remain steadfast in our faith, God will give us the strength to endure the most daunting trials, providing proof that God lifts us even when we are down.

Next time you find yourself in your Job era, or if you are going through it now, remember that above all, God will give you the strength needed to endure these times and there is purpose in the pain, even though you may not know what it is at this time. God sees the big picture and has a bigger and better plan. A plan to prosper us and all He asks us in return is to have faith. This is the wisdom of Job. 

Next Steps

Maybe you are in your Job era, or remember a time when you were in a difficult season of your life. Did you have faith and lean into God’s plan? Where did you find God in these times? What wisdom did you gain, or will you gain from the experience? Can we pray for you? Submit a prayer request here.