His Encouragement #211

Welcome to His Encouragement Thursday! I don’t know about you, but Thursdays are my struggle day of the week. By Thursday, I have already been working hard at school and at home, and I just wish it would hurry up and be Friday already. LOL! I definitely need a little extra Jesus time on Thursdays.

And when the days of the feast had run their course, Job would send and consecrate them, and he would rise early in the morning and offer burnt offerings according to the number of them all. For Job said, ‘It may be that my children have sinned, and cursed God in their hearts.’ Thus Job did continually.
Job 1:5 (ESV)

In regards to God, what do you fear the most?

See, Job 1:5 tells us a lot more about what Job worries about than it tells us anything else. Job fears his kids will sin and curse God in their hearts. This fear of Job more illustrates that he is worried that HE will sin and curse God more than he is worried about his kids. And this is proved later on in the chapter when the Adversary speaks to God. It’s no accident that the very thing Job worries about in his kids is the thing the Adversary wants so badly to prove to God — that if things get bad enough, Job will curse God.

The part in Job 1 where the Adversary and God talk about Job always gets me. It makes me wonder the conversation they have about me. What does the devil try to convince God about me? There is truly so much the devil could use. I know my daily fights against myself. I struggle hard with anger and frustration. I struggle with love so badly. It is not in my nature to be warm and fuzzy. And I struggle really, really hard with trust. I want to be the woman God wants me to be, but I’m so limited.

I know my faults better than anyone. That’s the point of Job 1:5. He, too, knew his faults better than any other living soul. Yes, Job went through hell on earth. Yes, God allowed it. And, yes, Job had some serious feelings about all he was suffering. He had some fighting words actually. But he never cursed God in his heart…ever. And that is why God rewards Job better in the end than at the beginning of his story. Job was faithful to God no matter what. Even when his wife screamed at him to curse God and die, Job stayed faithful. It’s quite humbling actually.

Why was Job successful? Because he knew his Redeemer lives and that in the end his Redeemer will rise (Job 19:25). Job had the same hope we have today. He knew an Adversary was out to get him, but he also knew his Redeemer stood in the gap, or would stand in the gap at some point. Yes, Job didn’t know the name Yeshuah, but he knew God had a plan and he trusted in that plan. And God rewarded Job for that faithfulness.

If you are struggling today in a Job-like manner, or just in a regular-like manner, take heart! Our Redeemer indeed lives. He is in Heaven and He is seated at God’s right hand. The devil may be talking bad about us, but Jesus is there in the gap fighting on our behalf. Isn’t that absolutely AMAZING?! I don’t know about you, but it fills me with gratitude and hope and love. Thank You, Jesus, for being our Advocate!