Introduction:
We have been going through the pandemic since last one and half years and praying for God’s healing and end of the pandemic. Somehow, we feel that God is not answering our prayers and things are not changing fast as we expect.
Some of us are going through personal battles and we don’t understand what God is doing in our situations. Some of us have been praying for some matters for many months and years but the answer to our prayers is delayed.
Sometimes we ask God to reveal us His plans and clarify our doubts. Remember one thing, God is always on the throne and everything is in His sovereign control. God works and thinks from divine perspectives.
In Isaiah 55:8-9 God declares: “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.”
We must remember that God is not obliged to answer our every “why” question. He may reveal his plans progressively as we trust and obey Him.
In today’s sermon, we will try to learn what to do when we don’t understand God’s ways and his working in our life and in the world. Let’s learn from Job, whose world was turned upside down in a flash. He couldn’t understand why he had to suffer terribly in spite of his righteousness.
God’s testimony about Job in Job 1:8- 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.”
Job didn’t understand why the disasters struck his life suddenly. But one thing we learn that Job didn’t sin but worshipped God amidst all troubles.
Job 1:20-22- At this, Job got up and tore his robe and shaved his head. Then he fell to the ground in worship and said: “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I will depart. The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised.” In all this, Job did not sin by charging God with wrongdoing.
Context: Three of Job’s friends, Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite and Zophar the Naamathite, heard about all the troubles that had come upon him, they set out from their homes and met together by agreement to go and sympathize with him and comfort him. (2:11)
Eliphaz Temanite’s accusations on job are mentioned in chapter 22- The wickedness and sins of Job must be the reason for God’s punishment of Job. He asked Job to repent and get reconciled with God for healing.
Job’s response to Eliphaz is in chapter 23. He didn’t understand why God allowed this calamity in his life.
Verses 1-5: Job’s anguish and desire to ask God and get His answers. He wanted desperately to meet God and ask the question “why Lord?”. It is okay to feel like this as humans.
Verses 6-7: Job had confidence that he was upright and innocent and God would press no charges against him.
Verses 8-9: Job couldn’t see God anywhere in his situation. He didn’t see what God was doing. He didn’t understand God’s silence. We also feel the same way when we are passing through troubles. We feel God is far away or He has abandoned us in difficulties.
Verse 10: Job’s faith in the Lord that even though he was not understanding God’s plans, God knows his way. He realized that this situation was not the result of his sins or disobedience but God’s test for him. He compared the test to gold refined by the fire. He expressed complete trust in God that he would come forth as a pure gold.
What was the reaction of Job when he didn’t understand God’s plans?
1. Verses 11-12: Job continued to closely follow God’s steps. He kept to God’s way without turning aside. God’s Word never departed from him. He treasured God’s word more than the daily bread. It’s very difficult for anybody to remain faithful and obedient to God when things are not going well for him. But Job remained faithful and committed to God and His Word.
2. Verse 13- Job acknowledged God’s sovereignty in his life and in the world. We must understand that God is sovereign in his thoughts and actions. But He is a loving and compassionate God too.
3. Verse 14- Job trusted that God has many plans for him and He will fulfil those plans. Jeremiah 29:11- For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.
4. Verses 15-16: Job was terrified and cultivated God’s fear, which kept him from doing evil or turning against God in spite of the disaster.
5. Verse 17- Job wasn’t silenced by the darkness. He kept on trusting God and His goodness, even in thick darkness.
Charles Stanley writes, “When we cannot figure out what the Lord is doing, we tend to think, if I could just know why, then it would be easier to bear.
In his extreme suffering, Job experienced pain and frustration at God’s silence. He longed to present his case and hear what the Lord had to say. But when God did not immediately respond, Job nevertheless clung to Him and relied upon what he knew to be true: “He knows the way I take; when He has tried me, I shall come forth as gold” (Job 23:10).
Like Job, we should channel our emotions and responses through the truth of God’s Word. Otherwise, we might be tempted to doubt our Father’s goodness and love, since they aren’t readily visible in times of hardship. But if we trust in what the Scriptures reveal about God’s character and ways, we can endure affliction faithfully, whether or not He ever explains why. After all, God never guaranteed us answers during our time on earth, but He did promise to be with us.”
Job’s perseverance is our example. James 5: 11- As you know, we count as blessed those who have persevered. You have heard of Job’s perseverance and have seen what the Lord finally brought about. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy.
Romans 8:28- And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.
God ultimately answered Job in chapters 38 to 41. Job could understand God’s divine perspective in his sufferings and acknowledged in Job 42:1- “I know that you can do all things; no purpose of yours can be thwarted.
Job saw God in his situation and confessed in 42:5-6: My ears had heard of you but now my eyes have seen you. Therefore, I despise myself and repent in dust and ashes.” God restored Job’s condition in much better way. 42: 10- The Lord restored his fortunes and gave him twice as much as he had before.
42:12- The Lord blessed the latter part of Job’s life more than the former part.
Conclusion:
In your struggles, you may not understand God’s purposes and working but like Job, don’t give up trusting God or grumble against God. Keep trusting God and remain faithful and God may restore you like Job, if it is in His plans.
