The content of the mentioned Scripture often send us wondering about the permissive will of God. This chapter of the bible reveals that Job was suffering from his illness and apparently as with some issues of life today, his suffering not only damaged his physical body, it changed the way people around him treated and viewed him. Job’s suffering had just begun and took a great toll on him. More importantly, Job was a righteous man and even Lucifer knew it. Still, everyone assumed since Job was a man chosen by God, then only good should happen to him. To see the man chosen by God sick, to hear that all of his offspring were killed, to watch Job's ministries fall into financial ruins sent everyone assuming that Job must have done something to cause God to turn against him. However, nothing could be further from the truth. God was just pruning Job because it was time for him to be prepared for something even better.
During our own trying times, we often look up from our misery and shout, 'Why us, Lord?' However, the answer the Holy Spirit often returns with is 'Why Not YOU since you are the chosen of God?' See, God chose us to reach those that are going through something and have become lost inside the valley of the shadows of Death. However, before we can tell anyone in that valley that God will help them, we must learn that God will do it for ourselves. Before we can tell anyone that God can heal them, we must experience the healing of God for ourselves. Before we can express deliverance by God, we must first be delivered ourselves. We learn this wisdom and strengthen our faith and resolve as we travel through the valley. More importantly, every blessing that David expressed in the 23rd Psalm was obtained while he traveled through the valley.
God is holy therefore when we sin we die to God. The valley of the shadow of Death is any place where sin resides since the wages of sin is death. However, knowing God as able means we can say as well as take a walk through the shadow of the valley of Death fearing no evil. We make this proclamation simply because from our lifetime walking with Him, we know the God of Abraham that is always with us. Yet, the men and women chosen by God have the assurance that the Holy Spirit of God and Word of God will comfort us in our hours of distress when we find ourselves living next door to sin. Because we are the chosen of God, God continues to bless us right before every one’s eyes right there in the valley where sin resides. To paraphrase Job 42:2, God does this so everyone can know that God can do all things and no purpose of His can be thwarted.
Once we know that God can, we come to understand and know that we can. Once we know God Has Us Completely Covered, we can walk without fear of the next test or trial. Once we know God and take a little walk with him down the narrow road, we become empowered to walk as Love while living in an unloving world. As the men and women chosen by God, we walk with the power of the Holy Spirit of God guiding, instructing, leading, and protecting us. During the tests, temptations, and trials of our lives, the men and women chosen by God walk disciplined by our lifetime walking with God.
Likewise, as the rain from our mighty storms pounds upon the pavement, multitudes of errors, missteps, sins, and troubles in our lives become visible as we struggle to do the will of God. During these unwelcomed circumstances and situations, Lucifer will often try to conquer our faith in God. His spirit tries to dampen our resolve and erode our trust in God. Lucifer's main hope is to leave us wanting to reply like the wife of Job, 'Why not just curse God and die? Why not just close up shop? Why not just go home because no one wants to be saved.’ Nevertheless as the maturing men and women chosen by God like Job our replied must be, “You are talking like a foolish man/woman. Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble?” See, before Paul could pen those wonderful words in Romans 8, Job proved his love for the God of Abraham with his life walk and willingness to be tested. Job understood that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who has been called according to his purpose.
Therefore in life, we should not view our hardships, illness, and tribulations as God turning His back on us or His rejecting us. However, like Job we should view them as God pruning and building us up to be the type of men and women that are needed in times like these. The humility experienced from going through our trials and tribulations allows us to assume the correct position as we travel our life walk toward the throne of God. Because of these trying times in our journey, our childlike BELIEF that God is able ripens into a mature KNOWING God as able. Because of our experiencing God and our relationship to God, the mighty men and women chosen by God can proclaim Job 13:15, 'Though he slays me, yet will I hope in him; I will surely defend my ways to his face.' The men and women chosen by God can declare this because we know the promise found in Psalm 23:6 for ourselves. We know for sure that the God of Abraham's goodness and love will follow us all the days of our lives, and we will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.
Moreover, our being chosen to go through these various trials and tribulations by God speaks volumes about how our God views us. Job 2:3 reveals, ‘Then the Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil. And he still maintains his integrity, though you incited me against him to ruin him without any reason.” Understand, Job was not chosen by chance to go through the things he went through. Job was chosen because God had confidence in Job and by his life walk with God, the Holy Spirit of God personally designed Job for the job. In other words, of all of the people God could have picked, He chose Job because Job was the best person for the job. Likewise, God continues to empower each of us as we face impossible situations. God continues to love us even when life brings harsh circumstances our way. God continues to be there to help us through and in spite of our troubles and temptations. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. Still, during the storms of our lives, the men and women chosen by God can rest assured as well as stand the tests of our times because our God has confidence in us.
Because God has confidence in us, God will allow Lucifer to test our life walk for disciplining as well as for edification. These tests strengthen us to fight the good fight of faith. Through these ordeals, the Holy Spirit of God helps us to develop the resolve needed to resist the wiles of Lucifer. The teachings and wisdom of the Spirit of God enlightens our thought process and reveals the pitfalls on the narrow road. More importantly, the nourishment that we receive when we personally experience God's deliverance supplies us with a mighty weapon to use against Lucifer. That weapon is none other than our testimony about how God brought us through and out of the valley of the shadow of Death using only the blood of Jesus. Our testimony is about how God save our souls and set us free from sin using only the blood of Jesus. We gladly informed others about how God healed our disease using only the blood that flowed from the strips on Jesus’ back. Revelations 12:11 states, 'They triumphed over him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony; they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death.' To paraphrase Paul in Philippians, we can do all things through Christ Jesus who strengthens us. Not only does God have confidence that we can do all things, He empowers us with the spirit of God so we can do greater things than even Christ Jesus. God chose us before we chose Him because He knew we were the best for the job. Furthermore, He allows us to continue to go through these things in order to be prepared for something even better. Therefore, as the men and women chosen by God not only must we sometimes go through test, trials, and tribulations; we must be willing to go through them. We must be tested because no test means no testimony.
Lastly, to paraphrase the words of a rap song, child of God if you are scared for your life; then Go To Church. But if you are in love with God more than life itself; then Be The Church. See, no matter what the tests and trials are in our lives; regardless of what the unexpected results maybe, the men and women chosen by God can rest assure that we will be all right. We know this because we have personally experienced God’s care and know the Balm that is in Gilead. Sometimes, the winds of change do blow so hard they not only buffet our soul; they wallop the foundation of our stand. Nevertheless, we remain covered and hidden under the wings of our God. We go there because under his wings we can find refuge and shelter. We stay there because His faithfulness is our shield and armor. As the men and women chosen by God, we stay the tests of turbulent times because we understand Roman 8:31 simply guarantees that when it is our time to return to the fight, Our God Has Us Completely Covered. See we can do this because we know that no temptation has overtaken us except what is common to mankind. Furthermore we know that God is faithful; he will not let us be tempted beyond what we can bear. But when we are tempted, God will also provide a way out so that we can endure it.
Yes, the men and women chosen by God can stand the tests of these trying times because God has confidence in us. Yes, we can hold our own while saving others because we stand upon the Rock of God that is higher than us or any problem trying to overcome us. Yes, we can do what it takes even if it takes losing our lives because like Paul for us to live is Christ and to die is gain. We are the men and women chosen by God to be empowered by His Holy Spirit in order go through every test that Lucifer can come up with. Now with the power of God on our side, who’s afraid of the big bad devil or his little imps?
