The low point came last Thursday, after I had received a series of disappointing emails. I was taking a walk outside and giving someone an imaginary tongue-lashing, while feeling extreme self-pity at the same time. Then I caught myself--I don't usually indulge in such unrestrained negativity. It must be due to my physical sickness, I thought. Even Satan knew the surest way to tempt Job to curse God was to harm Job's body.
So I decided to buck up with help from God's word. I thought about the "Overcoming Discouragement" lesson that I'm supposed to be writing. How apt, my situation! The most important way to fight discouragement, I thought, is to realize what's really going on: I believe each discouraging situation we face is both a temptation, in that the devil encourages us to curse God, and a test from God to teach us to depend on Him all the more.
Look at what Job said in the midst of his troubles (in Job 23:10-12):
10 But he knows the way that I take;Job knows his situation is a test from God, and also knows the only thing to do is to cling to God's promises, the words from His lips. When he talks about the word from God's mouth and daily bread, Job references Deuteronomy 8, where Moses tells the Israelites why God allowed them to wander in the desert for 40 years:
when he has tested me, I will come forth as gold.
11 My feet have closely followed his steps;
I have kept to his way without turning aside.
12 I have not departed from the commands of his lips;
I have treasured the words of his mouth more than my daily bread.
He humbled you, causing you to hunger and then feeding you with manna, which neither you nor your fathers had known, to teach you that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD.Anyway, suddenly the lesson I had been writing made a lot of sense to me. God wants me (well, my whole family, actually) to stick ever-closer to Him. And I do need some humbling. God gives grace to the humble, after all. Oh Lord, I treasure Your words!
Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day.
~ Paul the Apostle, in 2 Corinthians 4:16
3 comments:
Care to share what the disappointments are all about? Work? Personal stuff?
I hope you guys are over whatever you had. Here's to looking forward to the day when there is no sickness and disease!
I try not to read Job too much! I'd hate to learn faith lessons while losing my kids. Ugh.
Wow, hope the situation has brightened and everyone's better! It's so true, all we can do is CLING to God's word in rough waters. I still remember God using His word to uplift me when I was a new Christian at 12 and ill... The pain was still there but it was different, kinda like you the Dad singing to Cora! : )
1 Peter 4:12-13: "Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal among you, which comes upon you for your testing, as though some strange thing were happening to you; but to the degree that you share the sufferings of Christ, keep on rejoicing; so that also at the revelation of His glory, you may rejoice with exultation."
God bless you!
Yay! We all feel much better now.
My disappointing emails had to do with ministry stuff ... people don't do what I want, when I want, or how I want it, etc, etc.
Those types of problems can loom large when we're spiritually low. The key, I think, is to stay spiritually healthy so that we understand we are growing along with everyone else. Somehow, God's Holy Spirit will get us all to our destination.
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