“Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him.” These words spoken by Job in the depths of his suffering make me contemplate the strength of my faith sometimes. How could one human being endure so much pain and loss yet remain standing? I believe the answer is in his attitude. Job reflects the attitude of someone who does not have all the answers to his present circumstances but held on to the faithfulness of God. Not that he didn’t have questions about why God was allowing the Devil to run free in his life. He was only human. But even in his despair, Job’s attitude celebrates God’s faithfulness in times past. The God who had never let him down before would not begin letting him down now. God could trust Job in his suffering, knowing he would not discredit his character. This leads me to ask, can God trust us in our times of suffering as He did Job?
The prelude to Job’s calamity is God holding counsel with Satan, who is hell-bent on disqualifying him. God boasts about Job’s integrity without reservation. Job 1: 8 “have you considered my servant Job? There is no one like him on earth. He is blameless and upright a man who fears God and shuns evil.” This conversation is the calm before the storm of Job’s existence. His world is upended in an instance something he could not have been prepared for. But lays His reputation on the line for His servant because He trusts Job will uphold it. Even with death staring him in the face, God knows Job will not allow his circumstances to speak ill of Him. Job was not perfect. He made some blunders as we read in further chapters, but suffering did not cause him to accuse God of doing evil.
In our humanity, we are predisposed to reverting to spiritual dementia when we face circumstances beyond our control. We forget what God has brought us through in the past. Our attitude in the present suggests that God cannot address our new circumstances. We forget the God who takes us up the mountain will also meet us in the valley of despair. Despite the situation, God knew He could trust Job to remain true to what he had proven about Him in the past. In all of Job’s questioning God’s reason for his suffering, he did not once accuse God of having impure motives. Sometimes in our suffering, we accuse God of punishing us unnecessarily for past sins. In our dark times, God wants us to trust that we will not let go, but hold on tighter to His hands of relief and guidance.
When trials, tribulations, and suffering come our way, remember God wants us to trust Him, but He also wants to trust us, we will not turn away from Him. If He chooses not to bring us relief, He can boast as He did with the Devil that we will not sell out to him. As people of faith, we must understand there is no promise of immunity from life’s happenings. What we have is God’s assurance He can use even the circumstance threatening our destruction for His honour and glory and our benefit. Job was “Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him.” These words spoken by Job in the depths of his suffering make me contemplate the strength of my faith several times. How could one human being endure so much pain and loss yet remain standing? I believe the answer is in his attitude. Job reflects the attitude of someone who does not have all the answers to his present circumstances but held on to the faithfulness of God. Job was not privy to God’s discourse with the Devil, but it did not shake his foundation, causing him to forget about God’s faithfulness. Job was certain his faith in God was not misplaced. Therefore, he did not need to have all the details of his suffering. Even in his moments of uncertainty, he refused to succumb to the worldly wisdom and opinions of his friends and family members because he knew something they didn’t know, God is faithful. The next time we go through something, let God say as much about us as he did His servant Job. Have you considered my servant there is none like him or her? I will lay it all on the line for them because I trust them.
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