Hard times and heartache visit us all at some time, exhausting us, robbing our happiness, and draining our self-worth, leaving us to ask, “Why me?”

 

On reflection, we often recognise our own hand in our suffering, but at times it’s unfathomable, frustrating our understanding. Yesterday, in Jeremiah’s words, we prayed, “when joy is gone from our hearts” and “the crown has fallen from our head,” (Lamentations 5:15-16) recognising words that could describe us, regardless of who we are and where we live.

 

Job, a man God described to Satan as “blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil” (Job 1:8) couldn’t identify what he’d done to cause his suffering. Compassionate towards his fellow-beings, and doing good to all, he would even “make arrangements for [his children] to be purified …” and “would sacrifice a burnt offering for each of them” after their feasting together, in case they’d “sinned and cursed God in their hearts.” (Job 1:5)

 

Understandably, his anguish knew no bounds when, in a short space of time, all his livestock was stolen or destroyed, his “servants put to the sword” (Job 1:15) and his ten children all killed, while feasting together, “when a mighty wind swept in from the desert …. Struck the four corners of the house” which “collapsed on them” (Job 1:19) robbing him of any hopes he may’ve entertained about living life out peacefully with his family and enjoying the fruits of his labours.

 

Don’t we all cherish this notion deep-down? We live, love, work hard, play hard, and believe we’ll be successful, and enjoy life. But when, amidst it all, suffering finds us, we discover we don’t have all the answers and have to look higher than ourselves for help. Job’s immediate response is worship, despite his grief: “‘The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised.’” (Job 1:21b)

 

Everything he’d worked for, everything he’d held dear, taken away; once esteemed in his community, Job is now mocked and spat upon by young boys. So extreme is his fall that he laments: “Yet when I hoped for good, evil came; when I looked for light, then came darkness. The churning inside me never stops … ” (Job 30:26-27)

 

But Job never loses his faith. Although he boldly challenges God as he works through his anguish, questioning how He could allow him to suffer so much at the hand of evil – while wicked people seemed to flourish – his heart longs for God to hear him, to be justified before him, and restored as a man of integrity.

 

And He does.

 

God rewards his unwavering faith and ends Job’s suffering, vindicating him and doubly blessing him, that he receives twice as much as he had before. But, for Job, the best blessing of all comes before this: his spellbound experience of Almighty God speaking to him “out of the storm”, (Job 40:6) holding him to account, humbling and restoring his spirit, and giving him true understanding of the nature of the relationship He wants with Job – himself, not his good works.

 

As He does with us.

 

Prayer: Loving God, thank you that You never let us suffer alone, but open our eyes to Your presence as we persevere by faith, and grow deeper in our relationship with You. Amen

 

 

Ek het toe die goeie verwag, maar rampe het my getref, ek het uitgesien na lig, maar donker het my oorval. Job 30:26, 1983-vertaling

 

Ons almal beleef soms moeilike tye en hartseer wat ons uitput, van ons geluk beroof, van ons eiewaarde ontneem en wat ons laat vra: "Hoekom ek?"

 

Dink ons daaroor na, herken 'n mens soms jou eie aandeel in jou lyding, maar soms is dit onpeilbaar, frustrerend en onverstaanbaar. In Jeremia se woorde in gister se gebed "vreugde het verdwyn uit ons hart" en "die kroon het van ons kop geval" (Klaagliedere 5:15-16) herken ons woorde waarmee ons beskryf kan word, ongeag wie ons is of waar ons woon.

 

Job, van wie God aan Satan gesê het: "hy is vroom en opreg, hy dien My en vermy die kwaad" (Job 1:8), kon nie identifiseer wat hy gedoen het om hierdie lyding te veroorsaak nie. Hy was deernisvol teenoor sy naaste, het aan almal goed gedoen en hy het selfs reëlings getref om na feesdae sy kinders te reinig, "... hy [het] vir hulle almal 'n brandoffer gebring, “want,” het Job gesê: “miskien het my kinders gesondig en God in hulle gedagtes gevloek.” (Job 1:5)

 

Dit is te verstane dat sy benoudheid geen grense geken het toe, in kort tydjie, al sy beeste en donkies gesteel of vernietig is, al sy slawe doodgemaak (Job 1:15) en sy tien kinders almal, terwyl hulle saam geëet en gedrink het, gesterf het toe daar "meteens 'n sterk wind van die woestyn se kant af opgekom en die huis van al vier kante af op [sy] kinders omgewaai [het nie]. (Job 1:19) Dit het Job beroof van enige hoop wat hy mag gehad het om in vrede al sy dae saam met sy familie uit te leef en die vrug van sy arbeid te geniet.

 

Is dit nie 'n idee wat ons almal diep binne koester nie? Ons leef, het lief, werk hard, ontspan en glo dat ons suksesvol sal wees en die lewe sal kan geniet. Maar wanneer te midde van dit alles, lyding ons tref, ontdek ons gou dat ons nie al die antwoorde het nie en moet buite onsself vir hulp soek. Job se eerste onmiddellike reaksie was om, ten spyte van sy droefheid, God te aanbid: "Die Here het gegee en die Here het geneem. Prys die Naam van die Here.” (Job 1:21b)

 

Alles waarvoor hy gewerk en omgegee het, is weggeneem. Waar daar eens deur sy gemeenskap na hom opgekyk is, word Job nou deur mense jonger as hy bespot en word daar in sy gesig gespoeg. Job is op sy knieë gewing en hy kla by die Here: "Ek het toe die goeie verwag, maar rampe het my getref, ek het uitgesien na lig, maar donker het my oorval. Dit kook in my, ek kom nie tot rus nie ..." (Job 30:26-27)

 

Job het egter nooit sy geloof verloor nie. Alhoewel hy, terwyl hy deur sy vrese werk, God dapper vra hoekom Hy toelaat dat hy so onder die bose moet ly – en dit terwyl dit lyk asof slegte mense floreer – verlang sy hart tog dat God hom moet hoor, dat hy as 'n regverdige voor Hom moet kan staan en hy as 'n man van integriteit herstel moet word.

 

En God antwoord Job.

 

God beloon Job se onwrikbare geloof en beëindig sy lyding. Hy regverdig hom en seën hom met 'n dubbele porsie sodat hy twee keer meer ontvang as wat hy voorheen gehad het. Maar vir Job is die beste seëning toe die Almagtige hom aanspreek "uit die stormwind" (Job 40:1), hom aanspreeklik hou, hom nederig maak, sy gees herstel en hom die ware aard van die verhouding wat Hy met hom wil hê, laat verstaan – homself en nie sy goeie werke nie ...

 

Dit is ook wat Hy van ons verlang.

 

Gebed: Liefdevolle God, dankie dat U ons nooit alleen laat ly nie. Open ons oë vir u teenwoordigheid, laat ons in die geloof volhard en laat ons verhouding met U groei. Amen