Recently my travels took me to the beautiful island of San Juan, Puerto Rico. The view, just outside the hotel patio, reminded me of one of my favorite Bible passages, found in Job 38. We know Job’s story. God, in conversation with Satan, paid Job the highest compliment about his character, and then allowed Satan to take everything from Job, but only spare his life. If you are familiar with the story, you know Job not only wished his life would have been taken, but also mourned he had ever been born. Have you been there? Obviously many have, reading the suicide statistics bear out that tragedy. Or maybe you haven’t been that low, but you have pondered the same things Job pondered…why did I have to experience that loss, or those losses? Loss of a loved one, job, home, health, income, safety, status, friendships….

Maybe like Job, the losses have come so fast and furious they take your breath away, and you are paralyzed when the phone rings, or in Jobs case, the only messenger left alive comes to bring more devastating news. Like Job, our earthly vision does not allow us to see into the heavenly places to know when something is coming or why it may come. But, even though we cannot know the mind of God, or see what our lives will hold, we can trust that He is good and works all things for the good of those who love Him. To ensure this, He left us with examples, glimpses, messages, instructions all wrapped up in a timeless, sixty six book letter, that opens our eyes to new things each and every time we open the pages. The Bible is an amazing book. No matter how long we live, or how much we study, we will never run out of treasures to strengthen, comfort and guide us.

Take comfort in the fact that your story isn’t finished. For many years I skipped over reading Jobs story. I knew about it, but frankly it frightened me. The pain, loss, the know it all high and mighty friends, Jobs wife who wanted him to chuck it all and give up, made me uncomfortable. Then I read the story, still felt those uncomfortable feelings, but made it through to when God speaks. My favorite part…..the end of the story. After all of the friends and his wife had spoken, God speaks and this is where we see just a minuscule glance at the majesty and glory of God. “Where were you when….I shut in the sea with doors when it burst out from the womb, when I made clouds its garment and thick darkness its swaddling band, and prescribed limits for it and set bars and doors, and said, ‘Thus far shall you come, and no farther, and here shall your proud waves be stayed….”. Chapters 38 and 39 are chock-full of majestic powers of our God. Too awesome to comprehend. Maybe God is paying you a compliment today, maybe He is saying….have you seen my child______? (Put your name here).

God is timeless and never changing. If He talked about Job, He could also talk about you, about me. And I’m sure like you and me, Job would have loved to know when someone was paying him a compliment, especially if that someone was God. Don’t give up. The same God who told the waves where to stop, created a store house for hail, tells the sun when to rise and the moon when to shine, is telling us, I love you, I’m in control of your story and you are safe with me.