When Calamity Crashes In, Part 3

When calamity strikes. How do we maintain any hope that God can be trusted. Whether it's a threatening diagnosis. Perhaps a financial disaster or a broken relationship are personal suffering becomes a test of our confidence in God's goodness today on Insight for living.

Chuck Swindoll recounts a passage in the book of Job where these issues arose.

Job's personal integrity had been deeply tested through adversity.

Shortly thereafter, God and Satan had a conversation about Job's insistence on doing the right thing.

Let's pick up the story now in Job chapter 1 notice Job blameless man of integrity, purity, humility walks with me. He loves his wife. Great father can children wonderful business Campbell veteran caravan was bringing back prosperous business world that he has cultivated and I blessed him. Yes, I sucked on the course you want to review important, build a wall around here is family is all his possessions course he walks. Review use for LEM you take those things away this a different story for some unrevealed reason were told, the Lord agreed. You may reach out and take away everything he has. Verse 11 states, but keep your hands off Job look at how it reads one day Job sons and daughters were feasting in the old brothers house, a messenger arrived in Job's house with the news. Your oxen were plowing with the with the doggies and and they were feeding beside them with the civilians rated and they stole all your animals and they killed all the farmhands I'm the only one escaped to tell you while you were still speaking, another messenger arrived with his news the fire of God has fallen from heaven and burned up your your your your sheep and all your shepherds and I'm the only one escaped to tell you while you were still speaking, another messenger arrived with his music. Three bands of Chaldean raters and stolen your camels, and killed your servants on the only one escaped to tell you but he was still speaking, another messenger arrived and says your sons and daughter now know the worst possible thing. Job could imagine the house in which they were all feasting, enjoying one another collapsed and they are all dead.

I believe he took his wife in his arms and whispered sweetheart. We lost it all, including those we love so much with the one we have. Love most has chosen to do this for some unrevealed reason. Please observe. He shaved his head, fell again to the ground to worship. You can't take it with you is what Job is saying you I think that's it done, finished. If you think that you don't know sometime. He lives to see you fall exist to hear you curse and blame God because things don't go the way you thought they should have gone, Job doesn't fulfill that agenda. So he's back round to and God face-to-face. The Lord says to him. You see, my servant Job is the finest man in all the earth.

Chapter 2 verse three blameless a man of complete integrity fears. Median stays away from evil is maintain his integrity, even though you are me to harm him.

Your Bible may read brewing him.

The Hebrew says swallow him you wanted me to swallow him up or let you do that you were given free reign and he did not curse me, Satan replied skin verse you heard him to the bone you make him suffer. You will hear cursing like you've never heard from you before, look at the limitation verse five.

Reach out take away his health. He will surely curse you to your face. All right says God verse six, you may do that but but spare his life. You will not kill him. That's all Satan needed he took off with plans to make Job even more miserable.

He struck Job with terrible boils from head to foot boils and on top of all this you observe verse eight he scraped his skin with a piece of broken pottery as he sat among the ashes. All that he humanly had left were his wife and three friends, and even the turned against.

In summary, it must've been a time of complete confusion. It was a time of total isolation and no visible reason for hope and change terminal pain. His wife says to him, just curse God and the high she spoke foolishly and Job says so but look at her she's coming from.

Remember those times in your life when you could cut your tongue out for saying what you should not have said in a rash moment of irritation or pain or retaliation or confusion.

We all remember such times.

I frankly believe she lived to see the day she regretted ever saying it but she said it in her grief and her loss of a friend who was probably across South Texas fiddling with the dialogue is radio trying to find one of those stations it would help keep him awake. He came across a country preacher who happened to be starting a series on Job and he said well it just chose the title is what I want to call it Katie by day Kate sleep at night.

The woman I love, don't treat me right pretty good title buddy misery personified. We give you a couple of always and never pieces of advice as I stand here with no boils yet.

Who knows what may come no loss of children by God's grace yet. Who knows what may come. Still have my wife by God's grace slowly pass along a couple of things.

I hope you will remember, you were married, especially with all of us who have close friends, peers, and always piece of advice always guard your words, when your mate or your friend is going through a hard time.

Guard your words, you have no idea how they can affect the one who is hurting what you say means more than you realize that even if you forget them, they won't guard your words. Here's a here's a never piece of advice never suggests that that person compromise his or her integrity never suggests suicide never is the Lord who gives us the Lord takes away.

I know I know I've seen situations so impossible. I really believe death would be better, but that is a Michael and that isn't anyone else's. Job would go what it was God's time for him to go back to the story as we wrap it up. Job's response. After all of the loss and now all of the pain look verse 10 you talk like a talk like a foolish woman to say that now look at his question and will you remember the rest of your life. Please should we accept only good things from God and never adversity will every health and wealth televangelist. Remember that verse will everyone who promises you prosperity if you get to this ministry. Having no right to make such a promise as if God is a heavenly bellboy happy to wait on the nurse if we just ring the bell. God is in the heavens.

He does whatever he pleases, and whatever is glorifying to him and best for you and me regardless of how you and I may feel about it. He isn't there to make us happy.

He's there to grow us into a person like his son who learned obedience through the things he suffered.

Hebrews 58. Job has a referral for his wife to speak is a foolish woman as a reaction to his condition.

Shall we except good and not adversity sweetheart look at all the good God has given us two days of darkness, heartbreak, disappointments, of course, there are as a mature response in the beautiful part in all this Job said nothing wrong is resist theology. Belfast's determination remain strong and consult on Harriet him for it. No wonder he seen as the greatest man in the East. Would love to have known and unknown some great people but no one like this so I want to say three things that you can take with you and I will do the same for someone to say that our trials are inevitable. Don't be surprised many of you have suffered many things far worse than I've ever suffered. My heart goes out to you.

I salute you for your endurance, but there are more trials to come say that to all of us, a man named Robert Alden put it this way. This is a hard lesson for some believers to learn, especially if they have been promised help and will or have misunderstood the God's wonderful plan for their lives involves only pleasantness and not troubles." What he takes or what he gives us shows the father's love so precious. Thank you father for your wisdom in taking from me what I thought was valuable, but is not as valuable as your will. I will not allow this trial to turn me away from you. I will not be surprised that it is happened. Do not be surprised what tomorrow holds, or next week or next year if we live to see next week and next year will be surprised. Here's the second lesson the Lord our world is falling were all imperfect. Don't be fooled when people who love you, give you wrong advice.

They don't mean it to be wrong there just imperfect. This was bad advice from his wife wouldn't be good that he curse God and die with cursing on his lips. Probably no one on earth loved him more than his wife but that was bad counsel. So remember that our world is falling were all imperfect. Even those who love us the most contentless, the wrong thing have to just to balance it out. They also can say the right thing when we don't want to hear but the point here is that were not to be fooled. When we hear the wrong thing from someone who… Be sure you balance what you hear with what the Scriptures teach. This is always our guide. This is always the foundation of what we believe this determines what's right and wrong is a politically incorrect statement for I love it so much. This book is always true. Square when you hear with the script. It doesn't square.

The advice is bad or as ill-timed not given for the person who has no motive but given probably in sincerity, but it's incorrect advice.

Don't take with the Scriptures will be surprised.

Don't be fooled. Here's the third.

Our God is sovereign, so we must prepare ourselves for whatever today is part of the preparation.

If I could pull aside each one of you all alone in my study and you and I could talk. I would say that, but since I cannot say to all of us. This is part of our preparation will be disillusioned. Don't think your God is handing out candy Shirley he blesses and we all know what that is like they far outnumber the tests, but our God is preparing goes for whatever is necessary so that when we stand before him. We will be more like his son than otherwise.

Because of the testing we went through and he never runs out of creative ideas are. God knows what he's about. Nothing. This is all wonderful information for those of us who know and desire to walk with the Savior will be surprised will be fooled will be disillusioned. I have a word for you who do not know the Lord, you aren't prepared and you can't be the trials that will come will level you and because you have no foundation to fall back on your Sandy foundation will give way and you will be at a loss to know how to get back on your feet. Your turn to wrong people were doing wrong things or reaction or reacting and wrong ways because you have no Savior so begin at the cross is where it all starts with the cross life begins life is it's meant to be lit. Please bear with me please. Bell per your sitting you know the condition of your life better than anyone else, even those who know you well you know if you are a child of God or still walking in your own way you maybe even faking it. You know that they be very few others would know it. Today's the day to come to terms with your relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ. I urge you to trust in him right now, simple prayer Lord I unknot prepared for what may come back. I take away all excuses.

I simply bear muscle before you and I come as a sinner needing you as my Savior take me Lord take me now.

I trust in you with my whole heart. Thank you for coming into my life. This is a prayer for all of you who do not know the Savior regardless of your religious background or lack of such. Regardless of your age, regardless of your gender, regardless of what you been through, regardless of how you been treated or mistreated you begin at the cross. Trust him now. You'll be amazed at the difference it makes when trials come, he'll be there with you and for plus he will forgive your sins and prepare you your own home in heaven. Trust him now. We can help you with this decision. That is why we are here call on us.

We will help. Thank you, dear father, for the hope there is in Christ, thank you for your spirit that works in all lives.

I pray that you would peel away all the sham and all the phoniness that has been built up over the years and we will see ourselves as we truly are sinners in need of a Savior, hear those who call on you today and receive them into your family today. Now to him is able to guard us from stumbling into present us faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding great to the only wise God our Savior be glory and majesty diminutive power now and forever more.

In the name of Christ.

Everyone's name this is Insight for living, our Bible teacher is Chuck Swindoll and to learn more about this ministry, we invite you to visit us online@insideworld.org will Chuck is just completed. Message number five in a 12 part series called clinging to hope and help you dig deeper into this topic. He wrote a book that parallels this teaching series. It's also called clinging to hope and it's available right now when your world gets rocked by calamity as it did for Job and when the people around you are second-guessing God's role in it. It's tempting to sink into despair in his book, Chuck will remind you that our God is not surprised by the chaos of our times. God is sovereign and he is in complete control.

Again, Chuck's new book is called, clinging to hope and you can purchase a copy right now by going to Insight.org/hope or call us if you're listening in the United States, call 800-772-8888.

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