Monday, November 11, 2013

“The Job Syndrome”



(A Spiritual Faith Diary) “Formula for Faith is Believing Without Seeing”

“The Job Syndrome”—what is it?  It’s an expression that I’ve come up with to explain the condition, which I feel that I’m in sometimes.  Those times are the times when we go through a situation we feel is unpleasant.  As I write this book, I feel that I am experiencing those issues right now in order to help someone at another time.  Sometimes the experiences are embarrassing, but we have to remember what the Bible has to say: “There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man:  but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it” (I Cor. 10:13).


The book of Job, in the old testament of the Bible, is a ‘once-upon-a-time’ story about a good man who suffered many injustices in his life.  One day, as the story goes, Satan appears before God to tell Him about all the sinful things people are doing on earth.  God says to Satan, “Did you notice My servant Job?  There is no one on earth like him, a thoroughly good man who never sins.”  Satan answers God, “Of course Job is pious and obedient.  You make it worth his while by showering riches and blessings on him.  Take away those blessings and see how long he remains your obedient servant.”

God accepts Satan’s challenge.  God doesn’t tell Job what is about to happen to his life.  As the story develops, Satan destroys Job’s house and cattle and kills his children.  He afflicts Job with boils all over his body, so that his every moment and movement becomes physical torture.  Job’s wife urges him to curse God, even if that means God’s striking him dead.  He knows he can’t do anything worse.  Three friends come to console Job, and they too urge him to give up his piety if this is the reward it brings him, but Job remains steadfast in his faith.  Nothing that happens to him can make him give up his devotion to God.  At the end, God appears, scolds the friends for their advice, and rewards Job for his faithfulness.  God gives him a new home, a new fortune, and new children.  The moral of the story is: when hard times befall you, don’t be tempted to give up your faith in God.  He has His reasons for what He is doing, and if you hold on to your faith long enough, He will compensate you for your suffering.  The righteous perisheth, and no man layeth it to heart: and merciful men are taken away, none considering that the righteous is taken away from the evil to come” (Ish. 57:1).

“Small Beginnings” (September 23, 1996)
In 1996, I began to go through a situation similar to Job’s.  No, I did not lose my children, or my home, or my health, but, when you are confronted with misfortune; it can seem as enormous as any problem that Job faced.  Just as Job’s trials, my misfortune seemed enormous and unending...
 


To read the rest of this story – get the book: Bent But Not Brokenby Ms. "V" (Victoria Thomas Poller)

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