When Job’s wife sees her husband's body covered in painful sores, she seems surprised he’s still holding onto his faith. She urges him to “curse God and die” in order to escape the pain of his body. Job reprimands her gently and asks, “Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble?”
In his wife’s eyes, the moment when life turned from pleasant to hard and ugly, she decided life wasn’t worth living. With suicide rates skyrocketing today, it’s a mindset that has stood the test of time. The book of Job, however, illustrates very clearly that life is not to be measured or lived according to those terms. There is a purpose for our lives that goes beyond easy living.
When life goes south, guess what.
It’s still worth living.
We are never promised an easy life if we choose to follow Christ. The Bible reiterates this over and over again. The good, bad, and ugly all pass through God’s hands, and when trials come, Satan wants us to curse God, to stop reading Scripture, and to let our anger drive a wedge between us and God.
Yes, life can feel overwhelming, painful, and even agonizing at times, but Job — a man who was afflicted and put through unbelievable trials — shows that no matter what comes against us, taking our life and cursing our God is never the answer. Draw near to God instead of pushing him away. Allow Him to work in your heart and reveal things to you He only can in times of testing.
Father, thank you because you don’t leave me alone in my suffering. Time and time again throughout Scripture and in my life, you have proven yourself faithful. I pray that in moments when I feel like despairing for life itself, that you would hold me in your loving arms. Help me to rest in you today with assurance of your goodness and faithfulness to see me through every circumstance. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.
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