Mysterious Purpose

Why does it sometimes take pain to push us to grow deeper in Christ? If I could answer I’d be really brilliant. I can’t even explain it to myself in a way that totally makes sense because I could never fully explain God’s ways. Why? Because He’s so much wiser than I am and well, you know…He’s so much more in every way than we are. But we do not have to understand Him or fully explain Him to know Him! 

As I’ve continued reading chronologically, I am studying Job and although he was a righteous man, the devil was allowed to test him by destroying what was important to him: family, home, livestock, health. The only limit the devil had was that he couldn’t take Job’s life. 

I am currently also reading R. T. Kendall’s book, God Meant It For Good, looking at the life of Joesph and all God had to teach him before he was ready for his assignment of saving Israel from famine. It took years for Joseph to be tested and made ready. 

R. T. wrote about how God allows us to face testing and difficulty as He prepares us for His calling in our lives. He even mentions Job here, stating that even though Job was considered righteous and didn’t sin when he lost everything, he did question God. His faith needed to grow. Then God reveals to Job who He is, and Job is stunned into humility. He had to learn to trust God no matter what pain, loss, or devastation he was facing. And he did.

It is in Job 42 that we see the response of faith he learned:

“Then Job replied to the LORD: I know that you can do anything and no plan of yours can be thwarted. You asked, “Who is this who conceals my counsel with ignorance? ”Surely I spoke about things I did not understand, things too wondrous for me to know.”

Job 42:1-3

He adds:

“I had heard reports about you, but now my eyes have seen you.” 

Job 42:5

As a result of all he had been through and lost, Job saw God in a deeper way than ever before . And he trusted God more than he ever had. 

So, my encouragement to you today is to be okay with the mysteries of God. Romans 11:33 supports what Job learned: 

“Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and of the knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgments and untraceable his ways!” 

Romans 11:33

We see this as well in Isaiah 55:

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, and your ways are not my ways.” This is the LORD’s declaration. “For as heaven is higher than earth, so my ways are higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.”

Isaiah 55:8-9

Let the unknown draw you into a deeper trust in all He is and all He does. Remember, there is ALWAYS A PURPOSE in whatever the Lord allows to touch our lives!

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