The Tunnel At The End Of The Tunnel
"In the land of Uz there was a man whose name was Job. This man was blameless and upright;he feared God and shunned evil. He had seven sons and three daughters. He was the greatest man among all the people of the east."
Beloved, you know the account of how Job's life came crashing down around him. His children; all killed. His wealth; all lost. Afflicted with a horribly painful disease.
Why? We the readers know that he had done nothing to deserve this suffering. But nobody tells Job, his wife, or his friends.
Job's wife mocked him. "Are you still holding on to your integrity? Curse God and die (2:9)." His friends were worse. They argued that he was being punished and deserved these tragedies. Against all evidence, Job struggled to keep believing in the loving God that he knew and worshipped.
Job knew deep in his soul that they were all wrong. There must be another explanation. He asked for just one thing. A face to face meeting with God Most High. His requested was finally granted.
Unknown to him, Job was the main character in a contest proposed in heaven. Satan accused Job of being a follower of God Most High because God had blessed him with health, wealth, and family. Take it away, said Satan, and Job will curse you to your face.
Job had a long list of questions for God, but when they met, it was God who asked the questions. Follow Him beloved as He speaks to Job and to us in chapters 38-41.
Sitting in a pile of ashes, naked and covered with sores, Job answers God (42:1-9). Because he had seen Him face to face, he believed God in the midst of his suffering, with no certainty of relief in sight. And the rest is history.
Today, we feel like Job. Our lives have been stricken. Things don't make sense. Why does God seem so distant and silent?
Solomon said "What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun." The story of Job is being played out again in the life of Val, Chris, the boys,and all of you beloved that surround them with love and prayers.
Be encouraged by the story of Job. We may not see God face to face as Job did, but we know that, like Job, God's Son suffered unjustly for us. And just like the story of Job and the suffering of our Saviour, the end of our story will be joyful and victorious. God Himself has already written the final chapter.
Godspeed
posted by McCrea Family at 1:02 PM
7 Comments:
Hey Val, I am thinking of you right now 6pm on Friday night. Could have gone to jazz in the park or could have gone to Mara's ref orientation, but instead, I am here, thinking of you. You looked so awesome the other day at the kid's soccer camp. And there you were, up to your old tricks--networking for me and your sis:-) I love you more than you know. Your life touches me in a way i cannot express. Maybe that's why i'm so chicken shit about talking about any of this face to face. I know your life could be mine and I wonder why it isn't. You don't deserve any of this. I know in my heart you don't want to be Job. Who would? I just have to believe that you will be rewarded over and over for all of your courage and belief. My heart is with you, Chris and your beautiful boys. I just want you to know that I care, alot. And I'm sorry I'm not better at showing it. But I'm going to work on that :-)You are so loved. Your pain is my pain. And your joy is my inspiration. Take care you!!!
Dear Val, Chris, Julie Richard and Nancy,
As my thoughts and prayers are with you constantly, everything I read and every song I hear remind me of you...
Today I read this little devotional by Billy Graham titled
The Blessings of Burdens,,,
Isaiah 49:13: "The Lord has comforted His people and will have compassion on His suffering ones.
Billy Graham says:
"Comfort and prosperity have never enriched the world as much as adversity. Out of pain and problems have come the sweetest songs, the most poignant poems, the most gripping stories, and insporing lives. Yet it is hard to think about this when troubles overwhelm us or uncertainty and fear grip our hearts. Our problems are real, and it is difficult in the heat of the moment to think of anything else. Our oldest daughter married a Swiss, and they often spend their summers in Switzerland. Sometimes we have visited them there and have gone soaring above the countryside on chair lifts high in the Alps. Looking down we can see almost a carpet of wild flowers, some of the most beautiful in the world. Only a few months before, those plants were buried under the heavy snow. Yet that snow prepared the way for their growth -providing them with water, and even insulating them from the winds. Our burdens can be like that snow, preparing the way for something beautiful once the winter is past."
Sorry for the long blog, but I wanted to share this with you. It lifted my hopes, and I pray it will lift yours as well. Spring will come, Val, it always does...
Love and prayers,
Osil
PS!! Call me if you need anything, any of you! Hope you will be home soon so we can have our prayer time - if not we will have to come to you:)
Val and family,
I don't think I have ever been more touched by a story of our Lord, than I was when I read this blog about Job! I have spent a lot of time pondering this. I think about what you and your family have been going through over these last 9 months...how many questions we have all asked...how many answers we have desperately sought...how many hours we have spent in prayer?
Thinking of all of this, led me to a place where this dawned on me. We love to say that God is love, and when we say it we refer to the cross. And well we should. But the test of whether or not we believe that, is in our suffering. Does God still love us then? Can you believe that? Can you in the midst of your worst day say, "The God Who loves me so much that He sent His Son to die in my place, the God Who is my Father, this great, good, wonderful, loving God IS in firm control of this whole thing! I don't know what He is up to. But I know Him! And I know He loves you and me. And I know that He is good -- too good to do any of us wrong. And I know that He is wise -- too wise to make a mistake.
As hard as it is, I believe there are reasons for our suffering that we may not know right now. But, there is a God whom we do know, Whose rule is unchangeably firm over every single circumstance this life holds, Whose character is unchangeably just, and Whose heart is unchangeably good and loving and gracious. We know and belive this...and because of that, we may trust Him implicitly. Trust Him to know above all...what He is doing with you and how He is working through you Val. And that He is with you every second of every day...with you and your family...all will be just right!
Sorry for being so long-winded! See what happens when I actually THINK!!!! Big trouble!!! We just love you all so much and are here for anything you need! Rest now...
Love,
Kerry Randall
I am so glad you're home!!! Hope we get to have out prayer time this week... You sounded good on the phone - you always do... YOU CONTINUE TO AMAZE ME!!!
I continue to pray for you and your family. Lord may you strengthen you and heal Val like only you can. May you take away her pain. Lord please give Val's doctors the wisdom to see clearly what is needed in her treatment. May you continue to lift her spirits and encourage her in this fight she is in! Thank you for Val and her family. Thank you for being wise and having all the answers even when we don't. Thank you Lord for loving us all so much!
Until you've walked in the rain you cannot truly apreciate the protection of shelter.
Unless you've felt the heat from a sweltering sun you cannot fully enjoy the coolness of shade.
Only after the clatter and bang of crowded places can you find quietness and solitude so soothing to the nerves.
Before you can stop worrying and start living, there must be an elimination of fear which is the cause of all worry.
Sometimes, unfortunately, we must collide with the bad before we can totally appreciate the good.
It is sad that we too often must be reminded of our obligations before we take charge of them.
Frequently it seems we must have our freedom threatened before we muster enough patriotism to defend it.
Too many shoulders are bowed by our thoughtlessness before we finally learn the key to real success is kindness.
We never know how truly wonderful it is to be loved until we are after we've failed to deserve it.
M.R. Smith's words, "God's plans, like lilies pure and white untold--We must not tear the close shut leaves apart--Time will reveal the calyxes of gold," reveal, after all, that patience does its perfect work.
Love, Edie and Elora Diane
Dear Val,
I hae been praying for you & your family that God woudl destroy the cancer and make you whole again. Every week my whole Church & Bible study group prays for you. I know God is walking with you and will heal you. You are so brave as is your family.
Love,
Aunt Judy
L
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