Now one of the biggest doubts that raise our questions of God and His presence is when we are experiencing deep loss or grief in life. I knew my greatest episode of doubt for God was when my mother passed away so suddenly a few years back. The first thing that hit me was sorrow, then the next wave, “where is God in this?” For you or people around you, I am sure loss has been a big driving force to questioning the existence, goodness and love of God. Failed business, losing a competition in school, cracks in marriage or an unexpected illness creeping up into our lives. This is not strange news to the people of the bible too. And one great example is Job, who was tested through great suffering. Yet at the end, when his family and possessions were all gone, when he was hit by an illness still, he held on to his faith in God. As said in Job 1:21, “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I will depart. The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised.” What a glorious statement but so hard to digest for ourselves, isn’t it? In the pose of praising even when all is given and taken away? Fact is, we know this is true, but we love the part of gaining blessings, instead of losing anything of ours. That is why, we sink into insinuations of all sorts. Does God really love you? Isn’t it better if God did not give you this in the first place? So how do we face the pain and bitterness of loss in different scales?
Spiritual hooks to cling onto.
Now firstly, it is inevitable that those feelings of disappointment and sadness will hit us. But at the end of it, we have to test and approve, to seek answers, and restore strength to face the challenges that will continue to come. As said in Job’s account, did he not grief the death of his beloved family? Sure he did. Did he not feel upset about the long illness that ridden him even after all the trials? Yes he would have. But he had faith in the purpose of God’s allowance in it. How is it that he has such great assurance and rooted perspective? It is because he was also close in intimacy with the Lord. So he always had spiritual truths to hook onto when different seasons of loss hits. And what are these spiritual truths we can hook onto today in our phase of loss?
Our God is a God of many things.
It is is important to first note that our God is not just a God of healing and gains. He is also a God of faithfulness, refinement and hope. He is also a Comforter, a Guide and a Friend. We tend to dwell in doubts because we may be fixated at a definition of God that we cannot reconcile with by our standards. But if we really want to find God and hope in our loss, we need to first be honest with ourselves. At the undercurrent of our sadness, disappointment and doubts, what is our true unmet desires and intentions? God wants you to bring your honest heart and mind before Him. As Peter says in 1 Peter 5:7, “Cast all your anxieties on Him because He cares for you.”
Flawed trust carried on by God’s grace.
Next, when I read the book of Job, one thing I really grasp from his character is his flawed trust carried on by God’s grace. Yes, there were times when he said terrible things about God. But he was also quick to turn back to God again. When the illness of boils got to him, and he was infected from top to toe with it, even his wife said, “Curse God and die”. Such a strong and resentful phrase. But Job replied to her in Job 2:10, “Shall we receive good at the hand of the Lord and not receive evil?” He knew God so closely that he even understands that God is the permitter of all things, not just the good stuff, despite the midst of pain he was in. And this shows a big thing about Job’s life and about ours. God shakes us up, permits some struggles because it surfaces some imperfections in us. You see, Job is a pretty decent and proper guy. Nothing much obviously sinful about him. But when these God-permitted challenges came, it created cracks that revealed some self-reliance and pride in him. So brothers and sisters, instead of seeing our loss as a punishment from God or attributing it to some deeds, God may merely and importantly, be revealing and purifying your faith. He shows us areas of mistrust, of idolatry, of self exaltation and many more, so that we may respond with repentance. As Job 42: 5-6 says, “My ears had heard of you but now my eyes have seen you. Therefore I despise myself and repent in dust and ashes.” Repentance is when we acknowledge the revelation of our hearts and minds, and restore the need for God to intervene in our lives.
More blessed in the latter than the former.
When that happens, you see that not only did God restore to Job his fortunes and gave him more, he was also comforted by all his brothers and sisters through the trouble he had faced all this while. In Job 42: 12, it says “The Lord blessed the latter part of Job’s life more than the former part.”
Brothers and sisters, are you going through a rough patch of loss right now? Let us not remain in our disappointment and sadness for too long. For the Lord is calling you to seek look beneath the pain, seek areas of sanctification through this and at the end, experience God’s comfort and blessings that far exceeds the former. Blessings of repentance, assurance and reliance on Him for the rest of our lives ahead. God bless.
