My regret is often that I did not trust in the promises and goodness of God as much as I should. Every now and then I have to remind myself: God's promises do not change even though our reliance on him does.
In particular I think this faithfulness of God is something difficult for us to comprehend when we fall upon hard times for completely unknown reasons. An excellent example of this is the book of Job. In it we are presented with a person who was successful, wise and righteous (Job 1 verses 1,8) but who fell on terrible times due to no fault of his own. All of his worldly comforts and pleasures were stripped away from him. He lost his wealth, family and health. Much like how we can feel in hard times, his despair was profound:
Job 6 verses 2-4
2 "If only my anguish could be weighed
and all my misery be placed on the scales!
3 It would surely outweigh the sand of the seasâ€"
no wonder my words have been impetuous.
4 The arrows of the Almighty are in me,
my spirit drinks in their poison;
God's terrors are marshalled against me."
The book of Job demonstrates that all are subject to suffering, no matter what we may have done. When I have felt despair, even though I know that I have not condemned God, I have been guilty of another sin. Much like Job, I have been guilty of questioning his actions and purpose in my life. Simply,I have often just wanted the suffering to be taken away from me.
Job verses 8-10
8 "Oh, that I might have my request,
that God would grant what I hope for,
9 that God would be willing to crush me,
to let loose his hand and cut off my life!
10 Then I would still have this consolationâ€"
my joy in unrelenting painâ€"
that I had not denied the words of the Holy One."
It is only natural for us to want our suffering to go away. Jesus himself wished his suffering to leave, but only if it was in God's will (Mathew 26 verse 39). The difference between wanting suffering to leave and wanting God's will is clear in the Lord's reply to the pleas of Job:
Job 38 verse2
"Who is this that obscures my plans
with words without knowledge?"
Much like Job's repentance for his words (Job 42 verses 5-6), we too should repent of such thoughts against God's plans for our life.
Job 42 verses 5-6
5My ears had heard of you
but now my eyes have seen you.
6 Therefore I despise myself
and repent in dust and ashes."
God's plan for Job was far greater than he knew. Job's righteousness and faith was rewarded with twice as much as his previous fortune (Job 42 verses 10-15).Whilst we shouldn't expect material gains from our faithfulness through suffering, we should know that despite our suffering, God's plans are for our good.
The story of Job tells us that faith is not simply a belief in God, it is also trust in God's plans and transforming power in our lives. Often, like Job, when we are in the midst of suffering, it can be hard to trust in God's plan for us. But we can trust that God does have a loving and marvellous plan for our lives that he will reveal to us in his own time, not our own. This can most clearly be seen in God raising Christ from the dead.
Nathanael Yates from Perth, Western Australia, is an award winning young scientist completing a PhD in the neurobiology of schizophrenia.
Nathanael Yates' previous articles may be viewed at: www.pressserviceinternational.org/nathanael-yates.html