The look on the couple’s faces communicated hopelessness, defeat, almost complete resignation. There was a crowd of people gathered eating lunch; husbands, wives, children, workers, cooks. The church people were there with their grills and coolers, all working to provide food for the workers and those with damaged or destroyed houses. The church building was not damaged, but there was no electricity. We ate outside in the bright sunshine. Then the couple with the hopeless, defeated faces came.
They did not talk much, though many of the local people knew them. They did not stay long. I am not sure they even stayed to eat. They had lost their house. Not just a part of it, not just a roof and maybe a wall or two; it entirely vanished. They lost not only their house, they lost their home. A fellow worker pointed out the house that was destroyed. He pointed to a spot in a field about 500 feet away. I could not even tell that a house had been there. It was an empty field except for a small section of fence with portions of tin roofing that had come from the barn. Part of the barn was still discernable.
The couple was in the house when the storm hit. How they survived is a mystery. Many others did not survive this set of storms. These two still appeared to be in shock. They could not yet talk about the experience, the horror, and their loss. Everything I learned was volunteered from a local neighbor. These people were not wealthy, and I suspect they were not fully insured, if at all. And these were just the few people with whom I came in contact. There are many others who suffered the same kind of material loss, and many suffered the loss of family members, loved ones, as well.
Why? I was there as part of a “Christ in Crisis” team. What answer, what comfort could I give this couple if they asked me to explain? I wanted to talk to them, but what would I say? My distinct impression was that they were not Christians. If they were Christians would my response be different? If they were Christians would they ask the same question, “Why?” Would they doubt the goodness of God?
In my own life I struggled with some of the same questions and doubt over situations not nearly as severe, but yet no less important. What are the answers? What can we conclude? What is it that God wants us to know?
The man Job had a series of calamities in which he lost all his possessions, all his children, and his health. He was left sitting alone, miserable, and with itching sores all over his body. When his three friends came to visit and comfort him, they hardly recognized him. And then, what did these three friends do? They began to tell him that all of the calamities were God’s judgment of his evil behavior. They reasoned that God would not allow such things to happen to a good person; therefore, Job must have been evil – he must have committed some secret sins.
Job suffered. Job questioned God. Job doubted God’s goodness. Job questioned God’s integrity. Yet, there was something else Job did. Job did not understand what was happening and did not understand why God allowed such distress in his life, but he still acknowledged God as supreme and entrusted himself to God. Here are some things Job said;
“Though He slay me, yet will I trust in Him.” Job 13:15
“He also shall be my salvation.” Job 13:16
“For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that He shall stand at the latter day upon the earth: and though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God.” Job 19:25-26
Though He kills me, I will trust in Him? In spite of all these calamities, God will be my salvation? In spite of all that is going on, even if I die and my body decomposes, I will see God who is also my redeemer?
What was Job saying? In all his arguments he declared that it just was not right for God to treat him so badly. It was not just, it was not fair because he was a good man. Job even challenged God to a debate, to explain why these things were happening. Job was aware that bad things happen to good people, but he thought that God had gone too far with him.
And yet, Job still stated that he would trust in God. Job acknowledged that God was God. Job did not understand his circumstances. He could not comprehend the situation and did not like it, but Job still acknowledged that God was supreme. God could do what He liked. Job did not understand, but Job would still trust in God. His trust was emphatically stated even though he did not understand.
What does this demonstrate for us? Do we always understand the troubles and calamities in our own lives? Has God promised that we would never have “trying” times? If God is God, and if God loves and has reconciled us to Himself, can anything happen outside of His control? If nothing happens that He does not control, then nothing happens to us that God does not control. Can God be trusted even when we do not understand? That is an important concept to grasp, and it is often hard to hold. Job did not understand and therefore complained, yet he persevered and held tenaciously to his trust in God.
I was having my own trials and struggles with God before the tornados came. Blaming God for current circumstances was becoming quite commonplace in my prayers. He could have done differently; God could have come through. Instead He did nothing. I had done my part, I made my commitments, I struck my bargain, I kept my end. “God, you failed me!” I wailed in my prayers. Why even pray? Why serve such a tyrant, such a self-serving God Who cared nothing about me?!
Then, God came through: not in the circumstances, not in the current situations, but in an attitude adjustment. My circumstances are still the same, but an interesting story about Jesus was brought to my mind. The entire event is recorded in the scriptures in John, chapter 6. Jesus was telling the crowd of people following Him some things very difficult for them to understand because the followers were anticipating their own agenda, His words made no sense. Many of them left because they were not interested in listening and understanding His words. Jesus then looked at His inner circle of twelve friends who remained still there and asked if they were going to leave also. Their response was articulated by Peter. He responded, “To whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.” Peter followed with a statement that they (the twelve inner circle friends) believed and were sure that Jesus was the Christ, the Messiah sent from God, the Son of the Living God.
It was upon reflection of what Peter said that my attitude began to change. Where could or would I go? Jesus has the words of life. I believe, entrust myself to the fact, that he is the Christ, the Son of God. I entrust myself to His salvation, His forgiveness, His love and care for me. Where else would I go? The inner circle of friends did not understand what Jesus was saying any more than the people who left. They just believed, entrusted themselves to Him. And, they would wait and believe for greater clarification. So will I. I will wait for relief and continue to entrust myself to Him.
Then came the tornados. Then I saw the devastation of property and people while I was there to help. That is when the travail and wailing of Job came to mind. He was struggling with the circumstances. He was questioning God’s integrity. And yet, in the middle of the struggle and pain he says, “Though He slay me, yet will I trust in Him.” And again, “He also shall be my salvation.” Peter said, “To whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.” In the midst of my circumstances, not nearly as severe as Job’s, not nearly as severe as those affected by the tornados, I can now say to Jesus, “Where would I go? You have the words of life. And I believe and know that You are the Christ, the Son of God Who gave Yourself for me.” I can also say, “Regardless of the circumstances, God, I entrust myself to You. You are my salvation.”
Break the Bread 