Have you ever had a day like this? A Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day where one thing after another keeps piling up, as it did for Job, one of the Bible’s most inspiring characters?
“One day … a messenger came to Job and said, ‘…the Sabeans attacked…’
While he was still speaking, another messenger came and said, ‘…fire…burned up the sheep and the servants…’
While he was still speaking, another messenger came and said, ‘The Chaldeans…swept down on your camels…’
While he was still speaking, yet another messenger came and said, ‘Your sons and daughters … are dead…’
In all this Job did not … blame God.”
Is Job’s response amazing, or what?!
It seems like the whole past year of my life has been mostly made up of bad days. One very bad day, in particular, everything seemed to go south in just hours: expensive car repairs, a sprained ankle, hospital admissions, and even a stroke and the deaths of people I love.
In our moments of “Not one more thing!,” do we find it in us to respond like Job? Or is it our instinct to blame God?
While it’s perfectly normal and healthy to deal with high stress with crying, yelling, or a long nap, our minds typically tempt us to search for who or where we can place blame or guilt.
In sharing my frustration with others, someone brought up Buddhism’s First Noble Truth: “All of the things a person goes through in life cause suffering…” I would mostly agree. Even the Bible says, “In this world you will have trouble and suffering…”
But Buddhism and Christianity diverge significantly:
Buddhism: “[A person] cannot do anything about it.”
Christianity: “But cheer up! I have conquered the world.”
Deep in my despair, I won’t blame God. Because he promises that he is more powerful than our troubles and suffering. As we turn to him:
- We can have calm within our mind and body to think clearly and ride out the storm.
- We can hang onto the promise that our problems won’t last forever.
- We are reminded that our problems often resolve, as we wait and watch.
I don’t always understand the purpose in my suffering, but I can place my hope and trust in God for healing, provision, and insights. I can experience a sense of deep calm, instead of being wrecked by the chaos. I wonder if Job was able to not blame God because he, too, had learned that God keeps his promises. Despite the calamity trying to overwhelm him, Job clung to God’s goodness and power.
God promises to work for the good of those who love him, which gives us hope and solid footing when the terrible, horrible, no good, very bad days attempt to destroy us.
When some of these days literally brought me to my knees, I was only able to keep going because God has a proven track record with me. I have seen him show up, time and time again, ultimately providing for my needs and hurts — whether a new job, car, or a calmed spirit. So, no, I won’t blame God for my very bad days. He’s my rock and anchor when the waves of life get really big.
> Is God good? Is he trustworthy? Click here to read this blog post.
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