Trusting God in ALL situations

Everything in your life is going just great, and it's really easy to see God's hand in everything that goes on. You have alot of faith; in fact, you have no reason to doubt God's power. Everything is cool... you trust that God will work all for your good. No problem there.

But what happens when your grandma dies? Or your dad loses his job and the family goes broke? Or you break your leg and spend the whole summer lying on the couch trying to mend yourself back together? Is it still so easy to have that unwavering faith? Nope, not at all. In fact, the Bible tells us that it won't be easy!! If you are serving God, if your faith is strong, you are going to be more of a target for satan to try and deceive.

Let's take a look at the life of one man whose unwavering faith is an example for us today. Job; described in the Bible as "blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil." (Job 1:8) God was so pleased with Job's dedication and faithful devotion, that he actually bragged to satan, saying "Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one on earth like him..." (Job 1:8) Then satan asked for permission to tempt Job. He said that Job's devotion to God was due to the fact that he had no reason to doubt God. So God gave satan the go-ahead and granted him permission to do whatever he wanted to Job, so long as he did not harm his body. (Later, God gave satan power to do whatever he wanted to Job's body as long as he did not take his life from him.)

In a single instant, Job lost everything. He was extremely wealthy, and yet it was all taken away from him the second that power was given to satan. But it wasn't just material possessions that was lost; each of his 10 children were killed. How devastating!! Would you continue to trust God if you were in Job's shoes? If your entire world was turned upside-down and shaken until all your securities were crumbled, would you still believe that God was in control? Would you refuse to curse God even when all your peers urged you to? It would be hard...extremely tough, and none of us can know for sure how we would hold up in that position without actually going through it.

But this proves something: it can be done! When put to the test, you can be victorious! You can stand for God when everything around you is uncertain. You see, God's Word promises that he will work for your good in EVERY situation if you love him. Do you believe that?

Ok, so maybe you can't see how anything good can come from a relative passing away, or a parent losing his/her job, or your summer plans being cancelled because of an injury...or whatever situation you're going through. I don't pretend to see the good in everything I'm faced with, but I can tell you that it is there, somewhere, and that God is in control. I bet that Job didn't see the good in everything that hit him all at once. But you know what, he trusted God. It is that kind of faith that we need to really strive to have.

Hebrews 11:6 says that it is impossible to please God without faith. See how important it is?! Do you want to please God?

Keep this in mind the next time things don't turn out the way you think they should. Remember, satan said that Job had no reason to doubt God because he had no problems. His faith was tested, and his devotion was proven true. Next time you find yourself in a situation that tests your faith, think about Job. And remember that God promises he will work all things for your good. Just trust him!
~HK


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