james
says we need patience especially when problems are unexplainable. the classic example he gives is in james 5.11
(msg), you’ve heard, of course, of job's
staying power.
the
giants and patriots are playing this sunday in the football super bowl but job
played in the super bowl of suffering.
he won the championship. he was
the wealthiest man that ever lived. he
had everything going for him. in a
two-day period, everything fell apart.
he went bankrupt, his children were murdered, he got an incurable,
deadly disease that was very painful.
you think you’ve got problems, he had a rough day! he lost his family, his friends, his
finances. he was suffering materially,
physically, socially – every kind of way.
then
one day his wife comes to him and says, “job, just curse GOD and die!” now that’s a support system! GOD allowed the devil to take away everything
in his life except a nagging wife. the
worst part of job’s suffering was that he had absolutely no idea why it was
happening. for 37 chapters in the book
of job, GOD doesn’t even talk to him and tell him why it’s happening. there was no apparent reason for his
misfortune. of all people, job had the
privilege to say, “why me?”
life
is not fair! that is true. GOD never said it would be fair. a lot of things in life just don’t make
sense. maybe we’ll never understand on
this side of heaven. job didn’t understand.
in all of those unexplained problems,
job maintained his faith. sometimes we
just can’t figure out our problem.
when
circumstances are uncontrollable, when people are unchangeable, and when
problems are unexplainable you really need patience.
just
a thought from the front porch…
