“Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him….’ Job 13:15
Is there a verse in all the Bible that is so haunting, as you consider the truth—God could slay anyone of us at any time, but also so profoundly devout—Job professes that no matter what—I trust God… regardless of what you send or allow or what You do to me, I trust You. This is a man who knows God and therefore and has no reason to doubt God’s goodness, mercy and love. Those that want to throw away their lives, give up on their dreams, or walk away from love simply do not know the God of Job.
The book of Job opens by introducing this righteous man who lived in the land of Uz. But this man undergoes a series of terrible calamities, in quick succession, that strip him of his wealth, and noble position in society. He has to face the death of his ten adult children and his body is inflicted with painful sores. Job was unaware that he had been chosen, by God, over all the human beings alive, to be tested—because he was found to be worthy of being tested. Something was very special about Job—he truly trusted God and it was proven in his life.
Despite all his suffered, Job worshipped the Lord by saying, "Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked I shall return there." Job was not prepared to blame God for his problems, even though he did not understand why he was going through these trials. He did not understand - but trusted God. You don’t have to understand in order to believe and trust—Job sure didn’t.
This is a man that had trusted God many, many times before and was never disappointed! Job did not understand what was happening but STILL trusted God. Although the whole world, and even his wife and best friends were against him, yet he still put 100% confidence in God’s love—-he wanted to be on God’s side NO MATTER. He was a wise man—a true hero for all of us who want to experience the depth of God’s love.
Are you there yet? Are you emotionally and spiritually dependent upon no one but God? Do you trust Him alone. Should he even destroy your life by the present trial you are going through, will He find that you never doubted Him, turned on Him, shook an angry fist at Him or cursed at Him? When the trial is over, and dross has been removed, will He find that what is left is pure gold?
From the devil’s perspective, I suppose that the love that God has for you and me, and the love that men like Job and David had for God, is quite strange and perhaps unnerving. Someone once said that it is as if Satan is amazed to see that, “God wants men to learn to walk and must therefore take away His hand; and if only “the will” to walk is there, He is pleased even with their stumbles. Satan’s attempt to win is never more in danger than when a human, no longer desiring, but still intending, to do our God’s will, looks round upon a universe from which every trace of Him seems to have vanished, asks why he has been forsaken, but still chooses to obey God. That’s what Job did. That’s what anyone who knows God is capable of doing! (Borrowed from The Screwtape Letters).
There are three things in this passage that should catch our attention. The first is a terrible supposition — “though he slay me”; God can do what He chooses when He chooses. No matter how rich, powerful or smart you are, God can take away your life in a millisecond. This past week five people lost their lives in a small submarine some 13,000 feet under the water. These folks were millionairs, billionaires and geniuses. But in less than a second they were dead when that tube they were in imploded. It was over faster than the snap of a finger. Do you know this? Are you angry about the fact that you are NOT in control of the universe or what happens all over our little world? Job knew that God was in control—and he was fine with that.
The second a noble resolution, “yet will I trust in him”; This comes from a man that had experienced trusting God. Job’s God was incapable of failing and so Job trusted Him. Job knew that even if God killed him, that God was a loving and merciful God and something better was coming! He placed his confidence in a God that He knew was faithful and true—and therefor he did not need to know about the future or worry about what was happening. He trusted God! Do you trust God?
And thirdly, there’s a solemn conclusion. There is a great appropriateness in our trusting God while God is slaying us — the two things go well together, though it may not immediately appear that way. (Adapted from Spurgeon). If we trust Him, He will, in fact, slay us, at least the old life we once so carefully guarded and shrouded—and it’s good that He does.
Here are some good things to think about as He takes away our old life and gives us new life:
·Such actions by God proves that we are really His sons and daughters because He only chastens His children. Consider the life of Jesus Christ as He suffered and hung on a cross.
Such actions – slaying times – are when real faith is created. You never grow in your faith by being blessed, safe and secure behind walls, , but by learning to trust Him in the midst of suffering and attacks.
Such actions are when God tests and affirms our faith. He knows about our faith, but He is showing US our faith—or lack of it—during times of stress.
But as you think about what Job said, remember that no one realized the true meaning of this text, and more humbly accepted, better than Jesus Christ. He knows in fullness what this passage means. God did slay him, and glory be to his blessed name, He trusted God while he was being slain. (Spurgeon)
Also think of the similarity between “Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him….’ And “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me….” Galatians 2:20 NKJV You see, if you have made a decision to follow Jesus, you’ve made a decision to be slayed, because your trust Him as your Lord and Savior… But do you? Do you trust that He will preserve you if you surrender your life to Him. Do you believe that He is able to bless you with a far more abundant life by surrendering your present life? Is He honest and trustworthy? Does He care? Does He keep His promises. Does He love me?! These are things for which Job had not doubts!
That’s why He was so favored by God!
But how can we come to know, first hand, what Job knew and passionately believed…and what Christ proclaimed of the cross, unless we’ve experienced God in our lives? And as we said last week, it’s through those trials, suffering, lonesome times of rejection, and moments of wanting to give up on life, that we come to experience the Heavenly Father that Jesus trusted in death, that Job never forsake despite his tears, boils and the heckling of the crowds. Later a man named Paul came to experience this same profound love and nothing could cause Him to doubt God again because of it.
When you fall in love and are sure that he/she loves you with their whole heart you are ready to do anything for them, and you trust them to do anything to you—that’s what love does to us. And being fallen creatures, we sometimes break that trust and it can destroy us. We walk in a fog not understating how the one we love could break our hearts when we trusted it to them. Perhaps that’s happened to you or perhaps you’ve broken some hearts by breaking trust.
But with God it is different! Please hear this if nothing else! In God Job, and millions of others, found the the One that does not break His vows or let you fall. And when you know that He loves you—completely and eternally—and once you come realize that He will never, ever do or allow anything to happen to you that would result in the disruption or cessation of that love, you can bravely proclaim in prayer, “Do whatever you want, take whatever you need, bring about what you must, though you slay me, I will trust you.”
A wealthy lord, Bernard of Quintavalle, lived at the time of Francis of Assisi and saw the public mockery that Francis often endured with happy patience (some actually thought that Francis had lost his mind). Bernard recognized that Francis had seen the face of Jesus and decided to invite him into his home to learn more.
That night, after dinner, Bernard had a guest bed brought to his own room. Bernard intended to truth about Francis love of God by secretly observing him through the night. As it was, both men pretended sleep, Bernard to hide his secret spying on Francis, and Francis to hide his prayer communion with God. After a short time, when Francis believed Bernard to be asleep, he arose in the early night, knelt, and began to adore God with the simple prayer “My God and my all” repeated gently, over and over throughout the remainder of the night.
Bernard observed the tremendous devotion and love that Francis had for God and while meditating on his words and actions was touched in the heart by the Holy Spirit and inspired to change his life. Lord Bernard became converted and told Francis, I will sell whatever I have and do whatever I must to come to know God’s love like you have! He then sold all his possessions and followed Francis as the first of what would soon become many monks of Saint Francis.
Is your love and devotion to God causing others give up whatever it is that is holding them back from a similar relationship? If not, why not start that adventure and romance with God today?
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