not quite unprecedented

My foot has held fast to his steps;

I have kept his way and have not turned aside.

I have not departed from the commandment of his lips;

I have treasured the words of his mouth more than my portion of food.

Job 23:11-12

Job lived in what for him was an unprecedented time. His world came crashing down completely. He was a devout worshiper of God, had a large family that he loved well, was well-to-do socially and monetarily, and God was pleased with him as a believer. Yet, God allowed Satan to bring unthinkable hardships to Job to prove and test the man’s faith. Job lost all his children to death. He lost all his wealth to thievery and natural disaster in the days before insurance. And then Job lost his health. He was reduced to mourning in an ash heap, covered in painful boils from head to toe. And Satan’s last strategy was to turn Job’s wife and best friends against him, relentlessly attacking with false guilt and reminders of Job’s own sinfulness to try and strike the last blow to Job’s faith. Job had never known such misery.

But Job knew God and he knew that God knew his heart. He trusted that. He kept holding on to his faith and his integrity despite the vicious spiritual and emotional attacks against him. Job had walked with God confidently even in all the trials. He kept all that he knew as God’s Word faithfully. He still obeyed God and loved God even in all the bewildering chaos that was his current situation. Job refused to concede his faith, holding doggedly to it and treasuring God and His Word more than even his meager daily food. Job was sustained through unthinkable suffering by faith in God.

The word “unprecedented”, though true of our present time, is now becoming overused in this corona-caused chaos. It is all quite bewildering... unless God is here at the center of the storm. Then it all makes sense. Then it has some purpose. Why? God does not change! He sustains us, He provides for us, He loves us... even as His purposes during the unprecedented are not going to be found out by us! God’s grace and God’s presence are still clear to us though. His Word is still and always will be, the truth! Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and into our yet to be experienced tomorrow!