Week of Monday January 26 – February 1
Hope in Him! – Man as Instructor
“Though he slay me, I will hope in him….” - Job 13:15a ESV
OK, let’s just address the elephant in the room when it comes to Job. It is one of the most challenging books in the Bible. Many of us turn to it seeking answers to the age-old question: why does God allow good people to suffer?. Yet after we read it, even with its happy ending, we usually end up with more questions than answers.
I read about Pastor James DeLoach, who discovered a painting with a powerful message about suffering and loss:
Some time ago I saw a picture of an old burned-out mountain shack. All that remained was the chimney...the charred debris of what had been that family’s sole possession. In front of this destroyed home stood an old grandfather-looking man dressed only in his underclothes with a small boy clutching a pair of patched overalls. It was evident that the child was crying. Beneath the picture were the words which the artist felt the old man was speaking to the boy. They were simple words, yet they presented a profound theology and philosophy of life. Those words were, “Hush child, God ain’t dead!”
Admittedly, it can be difficult to find hope in Job’s dark circumstances. However, this verse reveals his remarkable faith: “Though he slay me, I will hope in him….” Job’s declaration is one of the most profound statements of faith in the Bible. At this stage in his life, Job had lost his children, wealth, and health. He was facing false accusations from his friends and felt a deafening silence from heaven. Yet, in the middle of this devastation, he concluded that his trust in God was not dependent on what God had given him (as Satan claimed), but rather on who God is. Even in the midst of his disillusionment, teetering on the edge of despair, Job maintained his hope in the Lord. We can learn a lot from Job’s example and from any believer who continues to trust in God, even when every earthly thing is lost. That is why it is important for us as men to take the next step when we endure suffering. Our families and those we influence in our communities and churches need to be enriched by the testimony and teaching of godly men who have genuine hope in the midst of suffering. If you have experienced hardship, you can draw from that experience and combine it with biblical instruction to offer powerful encouragement. Imparting spiritual truths that you have learned through your personal struggles not only adds credibility to your message but also holds great value. When we endure trials but remain hopeful in the Lord, those hard-won lessons can help bring the Scriptures to life for those we love and lead.
This hope is not based on what we can see, touch, and feel. Instead, it is rooted in Christ, even when the world around us suggests there’s little reason to believe. British writer G.K. Chesterton observed:
Hope means hoping when things are hopeless, or it is no virtue at all.... As long as matters are really hopeful, hope is mere flattery or platitude; it is only when everything is hopeless that hope begins to be a strength.
We need that kind of strength today to show others what it is to follow Jesus. We need to be passing along to the next generation the kind of faith that will sustain, encourage, and equip them to stand firm in the face of adversity and live victoriously for Jesus Christ until He returns. Let’s teach our loved ones to place their hope in Him!
Hope in Him! – Man as Instructor
“Though he slay me, I will hope in him….” - Job 13:15a ESV
OK, let’s just address the elephant in the room when it comes to Job. It is one of the most challenging books in the Bible. Many of us turn to it seeking answers to the age-old question: why does God allow good people to suffer?. Yet after we read it, even with its happy ending, we usually end up with more questions than answers.
I read about Pastor James DeLoach, who discovered a painting with a powerful message about suffering and loss:
Some time ago I saw a picture of an old burned-out mountain shack. All that remained was the chimney...the charred debris of what had been that family’s sole possession. In front of this destroyed home stood an old grandfather-looking man dressed only in his underclothes with a small boy clutching a pair of patched overalls. It was evident that the child was crying. Beneath the picture were the words which the artist felt the old man was speaking to the boy. They were simple words, yet they presented a profound theology and philosophy of life. Those words were, “Hush child, God ain’t dead!”
Admittedly, it can be difficult to find hope in Job’s dark circumstances. However, this verse reveals his remarkable faith: “Though he slay me, I will hope in him….” Job’s declaration is one of the most profound statements of faith in the Bible. At this stage in his life, Job had lost his children, wealth, and health. He was facing false accusations from his friends and felt a deafening silence from heaven. Yet, in the middle of this devastation, he concluded that his trust in God was not dependent on what God had given him (as Satan claimed), but rather on who God is. Even in the midst of his disillusionment, teetering on the edge of despair, Job maintained his hope in the Lord. We can learn a lot from Job’s example and from any believer who continues to trust in God, even when every earthly thing is lost. That is why it is important for us as men to take the next step when we endure suffering. Our families and those we influence in our communities and churches need to be enriched by the testimony and teaching of godly men who have genuine hope in the midst of suffering. If you have experienced hardship, you can draw from that experience and combine it with biblical instruction to offer powerful encouragement. Imparting spiritual truths that you have learned through your personal struggles not only adds credibility to your message but also holds great value. When we endure trials but remain hopeful in the Lord, those hard-won lessons can help bring the Scriptures to life for those we love and lead.
This hope is not based on what we can see, touch, and feel. Instead, it is rooted in Christ, even when the world around us suggests there’s little reason to believe. British writer G.K. Chesterton observed:
Hope means hoping when things are hopeless, or it is no virtue at all.... As long as matters are really hopeful, hope is mere flattery or platitude; it is only when everything is hopeless that hope begins to be a strength.
We need that kind of strength today to show others what it is to follow Jesus. We need to be passing along to the next generation the kind of faith that will sustain, encourage, and equip them to stand firm in the face of adversity and live victoriously for Jesus Christ until He returns. Let’s teach our loved ones to place their hope in Him!
- Do your friends and family see a Job-like hope in your life, especially when you endure hardship?
- Are you intentionally using your seasons of suffering to instruct your children and grandchildren in putting their hope in the Lord?
- Ask God for the wisdom to know when and how to share the lessons you have learned from hardship, including how your hope in the Lord helped you persevere.