Discouragement, fear, hopelessness, disappointment in our hearts reveal to us the limits of where we believe God will act on our behalf. In fact, the presence of these feelings reflects the places in our lives where the Kingdom of God is not yet established. “For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit, ” (Romans 14:17, NIV84) “For the kingdom of God is not a matter of talk but of power. ” (1 Corinthians 4:20, NIV84)
The place of hopelessness is a place of hope when surrendered to the Lord. The place of discouragement becomes a tower of courage when transformed by God. The place of fear becomes a place of faith when the Holy Spirit can move and act.
Job struggled with his feelings of fear and discouragement. God answered Job by revealing His Majesty and His Glory. God asked Job to think about who God was. “”Can you bind the beautiful Pleiades? Can you loose the cords of Orion? Can you bring forth the constellations in their seasons or lead out the Bear with its cubs? Do you know the laws of the heavens? Can you set up God’s dominion over the earth? “Can you raise your voice to the clouds and cover yourself with a flood of water? Do you send the lightning bolts on their way? Do they report to you, ‘Here we are’? Who endowed the heart with wisdom or gave understanding to the mind? Who has the wisdom to count the clouds? Who can tip over the water jars of the heavens when the dust becomes hard and the clods of earth stick together? ” (Job 38:31–38, NIV84)
Who is God? How well do you know Him? Can you trust God that He is not only able but willing to transform every situation for His Glory if you will allow him.
Job responded to the Lord. “”I know that you can do all things; no plan of yours can be thwarted. You asked, ‘Who is this that obscures my counsel without knowledge?’ Surely I spoke of things I did not understand, things too wonderful for me to know. ” (Job 42:2–3, NIV84) Job acknowledged that his frustration revealed a lack of faith and understanding in God and His ways.
Here is the answer that Job found. Never quit believing in the goodness and the Love of God. Allow God to be God in every circumstance. Seek God and humble yourself before God. Acknowledge to God that you do not have the answers. Wait on God. Keep waiting on God. Keep waiting on God until something changes. Never quit.
When Job did this, his life was transformed.
“The Lord blessed the latter part of Job’s life more than the first. He had fourteen thousand sheep, six thousand camels, a thousand yoke of oxen and a thousand donkeys. And he also had seven sons and three daughters. The first daughter he named Jemimah, the second Keziah and the third Keren-Happuch. Nowhere in all the land were there found women as beautiful as Job’s daughters, and their father granted them an inheritance along with their brothers. After this, Job lived a hundred and forty years; he saw his children and their children to the fourth generation. And so he died, old and full of years. ” (Job 42:12–17, NIV84)
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