Day 19: Job 1-5

Wow! Job is an amazing man. He experiences what has to be the absolute worst day of his life. In one day everything he had (and he had a lot) was taken from him. Not just his belongings but his family as well.

So far 2011 has been a difficult year in terms of loss. A member of our church staff passed away without warning in his sleep. A nine year old daughter of a young couple dies of multiple medical problems. An 89 year old father of a good friend died after living with the effects of Alzheimer's for years. A beautiful 27 year old newlywed and daughter of another staff member died without warning. My mother's cousin died (of a heart attack, I believe). I feel all of that loss...sort of. I must confess that it's indirect. I hurt for all those dear people but I can't help but think how I would cope in similar situations. I have never had to experience loss of that magnitude. But this last month has reminded me that I will. It really is a certainty of life. It's not really a question of "if" but "when". How will I respond? Everyone deals with grief differently, I suppose, but I can't help but be amazed at Job's response:

At this, Job got up and tore his robe and shaved his head. Then he fell to the ground in worship and said:
   “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.”

He just lost everything and everyone that was dear to him and his first response was worship. There's an example to emulate.

I do have a couple more observations from today's reading.

1. Apparently Job's wife has been spared but is not coping so well:

"His wife said to him, 'Are you still maintaining your integrity? Curse God and die!'"

There's nothing like a supportive spouse...

2. Job's friends arrive to grieve with him at the end of ch. 2. These guys get criticized a lot, and they they deserve most of it, but they did something right. They were there. And they simply sat with him.

"When they saw him from a distance, they could hardly recognize him; they began to weep aloud, and they tore their robes and sprinkled dust on their heads. Then they sat on the ground with him for seven days and seven nights. No one said a word to him, because they saw how great his suffering was."

3. Finally, after 7 days of sitting in silence and sharing Job's burden as best they can, one of his friends speak up. He should've kept quiet because the first words out of his mouth are patently false.

“Consider now: Who, being innocent, has ever perished?
   Where were the upright ever destroyed?"

I don't know where he's been living but it happens every day. I think that's the hard part for us (me) to understand. Well, maybe I understand it...I just have trouble accepting it. I tend to expect justice in this life...and it isn't to be. Because, while on the one hand I may say I want justice, I really don't. I think the major thing we learn from reading the Bible is that if God really did give us each what we justly deserved...well, it wouldn't be pretty. I really don't want justice...I want mercy. I NEED mercy.

When bad things happen we have a tendency to ask, "Why me?" The real question is why do any good things happen? Why does God allow me be healthy today? Why am I blessed with a warm home on a cold winter morning? Why did He allow me to have a beautiful, loving and selfless wife? Why did I get to have 2 beautiful, intelligent and talented daughters? Why do I get to experience the joy of playing with my grandkids? It's not right. It's not fair or just. I don't deserve any of it.

The Lord gives and the Lord takes away. Blessed be the name of the Lord.