We live in a world full of trouble and problems, there are problems after problems. Not many of us can truly say "I don’t have any problems" Job even said it himself, "Man born of a woman but for a few days and full of trouble. But Job goes on to reason that since his days on earth are already determined, and the number of his months are already with God, and God has set a limit, the limit that God has already set cannot bypass any of us. God has set a day for all of us, Scientist cannot develop a pill that will give us some added years on earth, because God is in control of our time on this earth.
The Psalmist said, "Teach us to number our days" and what this actually means is that our days are numbered.
And since our days are numbered,it stands to reason that the trials and tribulations are just temporary
Trials and tribulations are not new to us, the very moment you exit the comfort of your mother’s womb,and entered into this world, the doctor took you up by your ankles and slapped you on your hindside. It was as if you were being told, welcome to this mean ol’ world.
The doctor hits you, and you haven’t done anything, you’re just a baby. But from that day on, people, situations; and circumstances will keep on hitting you and you haven’t done anything to deserve it. As we journey through this life, we know that there is a constant enemy against the children of God. Namely the devil, he is a busy creature, we also know that he is refered to as a thief. But he is much more that just your average run of the mill thief, most theives are satisfied with taking something that does not belong to them, but this thief wants to do more than that, he wants to kill and destroy he utterly hates the children of God.
He operates on a deadline, he’s a ’deadline devil’ one of his favorite lies he likes to use against us is that
our situation is getting worse and that God is not going to answer our prayer in time-and that we might as well take matters into our own hands or better yet just give up. He’ll say look at these problems that you facing, one right after the other, nothing’s going to change, every thing will remain the same-all you really have to look forward to is more and more problems. The devil is the "father of lies" in times of trouble, in times of pain and suffering, he comes around to make matters even worse. He tries to turn us against the only hope we have.
He’ll try to get us to believe during the times of discouragement, that there is nothing left. But the God we serve is much too merciful to leave us with nothing, if we make the sad mistake of acting as if everything is gone, then we have no gratitude for the things He has already done for us, we become an ungrateful person and an ungrateful person is always an unhappy person and a very miserable person.
We need to understand that only God can write a period, the most man can do is write a comma, because there’s always something coming afterwards. What do you do when you face one problem after another? What do you do when the dust starts flying? When the smoke gets thick, and the fire is too hot? Do you reason with yourself and say well I’m trying to believe? But the devil is very interested in just how much you believe.
He’s a defeated enemy (he doesn’t want you to know this) but he’s already been defeated. He was defeated at Calvary, his head was cut off. He’s like a dead snake, they tell me that a dead snake is still dangerous. A dead snake still has a reflex, and if you get too close it can still strike. The devil is called the serpent, and eventhough his head was cut off, eventhough he was definitely defeated there at Calvary. He still is able to strike, if it were but for a season.
The Bible doesn’t indicate this, but I believe it may have crossed Job’s mind (during this time) that if it ain’t one thing, it’s another. You’ve said this to yourself at one time haven’t you? When trouble comes, trouble, trouble, trouble! You know one thing about trouble is that it’s one of the few things we don’t to have worry about running out of. If you want trouble you don’t have to go out and look for it, trouble will find you! Trouble is smart, trouble can dial your number, trouble knows your address, trouble knows your name and the names of your children, trouble likes to lie down between a husband and wife. Many times trouble likes to clock in with you on your job.
Trouble doesn’t mind getting dressed in its Sunday best, trouble doesn’t mind walking into the church house, trouble is a gossiper and sometimes trouble can fool you and make you think it’s your friend and as soon it decides the time is right, trouble shows its true color. If it ain’t one thing it’s another! Pay you telephone bill, the next day you get another bill-this time it’s for you long distance calls. You paid the cable bill, but you forgot water bill is also due. If it ain’t one thing it’s another!
Ladies, you go to the beautician, and you ask her to make your hair little curly but she decides to make it straight. Brothers, you decide to try on that suit you haven’t worn in a while and discovered that suit’s waist line is no longer compatible with your waistline, if it ain’t one thing, it’s another! Am I right about it? If it ain’t a backache, it’s a headache, and if it ain’t a headache it’s a toothache.
If it ain’t a toothache, it’s sinus trouble, if it ain’t sinus trouble it’s arthritis, the list goes on and on, if it ain’t one thing it’s another!
Job was a man who actually lived on this earth (he was not a mythical character), he was a man of great devotion to God; he was also a very rich man. He was a man who tried his best to avoid evil, Job was a family man, he had seven sons and three daughters. He had land, and cattle, and servants. Job had everything a man could ever want, he was successful, but he didn’t let his success go to his head. He knew that whatever he had and whatever he acheived was only because of God’s grace and mercy.
One day (my Bible says)in heaven, the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, Satan also came along. Don’t think that when we come to church the devil is no where around, he doesn’t mind coming to church. He’ll probably tell if he had a chance that some of his best (evil) plans begins in the church. He doesn’t mind if you yourself come to church. He doesn’t mind you singing in the choir, as long as you don’t believe what you’re singing about. He doesn’t mind you shouting in the church, as long as that shout is just like a sounding brass and a twinkling cymbal signifying nothing. The thing that really bothers him is when you get down on your knees and start talking to God about your troubles.
God asked Satan, "Have you considered my servant Job?"
And the devil responded, "Ain’t no use me foolin around with him, seeing as though you’ve built a fence round him" But if you just remove that fence and let me have at him, I think we’ll see a horse of a different color. God gave His permission (with some limitations included) and the devil got started in doing what he does best, tormenting the children of God.
While one man gave Job some bad news, another man came with a sad report, and while he was speaking here comes another and another. Look what the devil had in store for Job, he took away his cattle (that was his means for food), he took away his sheep (that was his means for clothing), he took away his camels (that was his means of transportation); but much worse he took away his children (that was gift from God).
But through it all we notice, that Job couldn’t help but to praise God. This tells us something doesn’t it? Sometimes our faith can and will be challenged, one trial after another, sometimes trouble comes in doubles, and sometimes even in triples. We have trouble in our homes, trouble on our jobs, trouble with our children and with the ones we married, and even (believe or not) trouble in the church.
Look at this sad, sad, story, Job lost everything, 10 caskets of his children stretch out across the altar. His so called friends hanging his name out on the highway, his wife helping the devil to convince him into cursing God and die. But look at Job! He decided to hold on the God’s unchaninging Hand. What an example of faith! No matter what happens to us, no matter what the devil has in store, we need to have the faith of Job today. With war clouds floating over America today, the talk of weopons of mass destruction, chemical warfare and such, we need to hold on to God’s unchanging Hand.
The story of Job ends with some good news, it tells that God restored Job even beyond what he could ever expected. If you need restoring today, you ought to try to Lord, next time trouble comes (and it will come) next time you feel like shouting out "If it ain’t one thing it’s another!!" Take time out to come to the Lord, tell Him about troubles, and He’ll work it out for you. There’s nothing He can’t handle today, He knows what you’re going through. He worked it out for Job, and He’ll work it out for you.
He may not come when you want Him, but He’s always right on time.
