We all experience difficult times at some point in our lives. Some trials may seem trivial, while some trials make God seem so far away. Certain trials can even make us wonder if God is still in control. Job was known as a man who feared God and avoided evil, yet he went through unimaginable trials. During his trials, Job learned many things that ultimately brought him to one conclusion: he could do nothing but trust God.
Job learned Who God was. We might think that God will never regain control of this crazy world we are living in, but the reality is…God has never lost control and He never will! Job 37:5 asserts, “Great things doth he [God], which we cannot comprehend.” We do not know what God is doing and we do not have to know. We must simply continue stepping in the right direction. God will show us His plan as we follow Him. Although trials often make the body weary, if we seek God’s strength He will give us enough of His strength to get through the trial and we will not face trials alone.
Job undoubtedly learned that the temporary things he had on earth were not his when he declared, “…the Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord” in Job 1:21. When trials take things away from us, we must remember that those temporary things are not ours to keep forever. God gives us blessings and God takes away blessings. God knows us better than we know ourselves, so He determines what is best for us.
Job stayed confident because he trusted in God Who knew what was best for him. Trials do not last forever. God may not always provide deliverance from our trials immediately, but He always provides deliverance–whether in life or through death. Our physical deaths will just be the beginning of eternal life, so we do not need to fear. Instead of getting angry with God, Job grew in his relationship with God, which resulted in Job moving forward for God. In Job’s case, trials caused him to be stronger because he did not go through the trials alone. Through every physical trial–his children’s death, his abundant wealth lost, and agonizing pain–God was with Job. Through each emotional trial–grief, isolation, fear, and sadness–God stayed by Job’s side.
Trials are part of life, but we have a choice to either face them alone or use God’s strength to get through them. When trials come, we must recall three things. Remember Who God is, remember that God knows what is best for us, and remember to trust God. When trials come and we choose God to help us through, we can worship and praise God for the trials. Job “…arose, and rent his mantle, and shaved his head, and fell down upon the ground, and worshipped” (Job 1:20). We can go through trials worshipping God if we trust in Him.