Unveiled Blessings - The Crosswalk Devotional - August 19
Unveiled Blessings
By Megan J. Conner
Bible Reading:
“My ears had heard of you but now my eyes have seen you,” Job 42:5 (NIV)
Have you ever found yourself in a season of deep despair? Perhaps you are there now. Where sorrow seems ceaseless and you feel as if you are learning the true meaning of “longsuffering.”
Often, when people are entrenched in hardships, the Book of Job is inevitably brought up. As someone who has spent the better part of twenty years walking through one unwelcome trial after another, I can confidently attest that while many want to reference Job as the biblical character synonymous with suffering, few have actually read the full account. In our current generation, Job has become more of a cultural reference than a sage testimony of the deity, wisdom, and provision of God extended to those immersed in tragedy.
It is hard to read the Book of Job – I get it, I really do. Some of the dialogue can feel a bit archaic, even mystical. But the reality is, we avoid this book of the Bible because we don’t want to intimately witness that level of misery. As humans, we have an innate desire to avoid pain at all costs, even if the sufferer is someone other than ourselves. It makes us uncomfortable. We desire life, not death, joy rather than sorrow, and if we aren’t forced to face such circumstances, who would voluntarily look to enter into them?
While undesirable to our humanity, it is abundantly clear throughout the Bible that God employs hardships to fortify our faith and draw us closer to Him. Joseph did not inherit his prophesied role until after he endured over a decade of slavery and imprisonment, the claim to the Promised Land was only achieved on the other side of the battle, and freedom from sin and death was only accomplished by our Lord, Jesus Christ, on the other side of the cross. Despite the clear pattern, we think our lives should be filled with peace, prosperity, and happiness. Job struggled with similar sentiments.
After losing his property, his livelihood, and all of his children, Job sat in a heap of ashes, scraping pus off sores covering his whole body, and crying out to God that he wished he had never been born. Though he was known as a man of faith, Job struggled to comprehend God’s good plan in any of this. And rightfully so… How many of us would have responded any differently? Pride and a desire for justice rose up in Job, and he even challenged God to defend His actions. Job’s declarations may seem bold (who is he to demand the God of the universe justify His actions), but when unimaginable tragedies ravage our lives and hearts, there is little we can do but wail, lament, and look for something… anything to blame for our heartache.
Thankfully, God doesn’t turn away from us (or Job) when our pain screams louder than our logic. As a Good Father, God patiently allows Job to vent until there is nothing left to say. When Job finally stops talking, a full 38 chapters later, God does something completely unexpected. He reveals His majesty, omnipotence, and power to Job. When face-to-face with such glory, there is nothing left to refute. Job bows in humility; his entire outlook and heart forever changed.
“Then Job replied to the LORD: ‘I know that you can do all things; no purpose of yours can be thwarted. You asked, ‘Who is this that obscures my plans without knowledge?’ Surely I spoke of things I did not understand, things too wonderful for me to know. You said, ‘Listen now, and I will speak; I will question you, and you shall answer me.’ My ears had heard of you but now my eyes have seen you. Therefore I despise myself and repent in dust and ashes.” - Job 42:1-6 (NIV).
The story jumps ahead with an epilogue describing how the latter part of Job’s life was greater than the former. Many think this was Job’s reward for remaining true to the Lord in the midst of such misfortune. While those are all wonderful gifts bestowed upon Job, that was not the greatest blessing. The greatest blessing was the unveiling. Like Saul, as he is transformed into the Apostle Paul, the scales came off of Job’s eyes, and he was able to SEE God. Fully see Him, and know Him in a way that would not have been possible without enduring the unendurable.
If you find yourself in your own season of Job, may I encourage you to hold on. There is another side to the trial you are facing. And though it may not feel like it all at this moment, God IS working for your good and not your harm. May you like Job, be able to boldly declare, “My ears had heard of you but now my eyes have seen you,” Job 42:5 (NIV).
Intersecting Faith & Life:
Are you struggling through unwelcome hardships? Are you besieged by doubts, maybe even desperation? If so, take a fresh look at the Book of Job and the additional scriptures provided today. I pray God opens your eyes to the true gift of suffering – the gift of Him.
Further Reading:
Rom. 5:3-5
Jer. 29:11
Photo Credit: ©GettyImages/Suchada Tansirimas
To read more from Megan, check out her Blog, Just One More Chapter. If you would like to connect further with Megan, you can discover more on her Website, on Facebook, or Instagram.
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