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April 29, 2009
Drifting Away
Shall we indeed accept good from God, and shall we not accept adversity? —Job 2:10
Imagine relaxing on a rubber raft along the shore, eyes closed, soaking up the sun and listening to the gentle crash of waves. You don’t have a care in the world—until you open your eyes! Suddenly the shore is alarmingly distant.
We tend to drift like that spiritually. It’s subtle yet shocking when we suddenly realize how far we’ve drifted from God. The point of departure begins when Satan steals our affection for our loving Creator by putting a deceitful twist on our experiences and causing us to suspect God instead of trust Him.
Consider Job and his wife. Both had plenty of reasons to be mad at God. Their children were dead, their fortune lost, and Job’s health destroyed. His wife told him, “Curse God and die!” But Job replied, “Shall we indeed accept good from God, and . . . not accept adversity?” (Job 2:9-10).
There are many attitudes that can set us adrift: believing that we need more than God to be happy; placing meaningful relationships above loyalty to God; thinking God should live up to our expectations; resisting His reproofs; turning a deaf ear when His Word is uncomfortable.
If you’re beginning to drift, remember to stay close to the One who is the sole source of satisfaction.
Lord, help me to stay close to You
And trust You more each day,
So when the storms of life appear
I will not drift away. —Sper
Hello FRiends, the scipture in today’s thread was especially meaningful to me.
Job 2:10 “Shall we indeed accept good from God, and shall we not accept adversity?”
Here’s what I saw this week that is adversity for 3 of my cousins. On Monday I attended a burial service for my uncle(uncle by marriage). He had been very ill for 10 years with a bad heart. He died however, because he drove his car into a moving train. It appeared at first to be a suicide, but we are all certain now it was an accident, thank God.
This man suffered like Job. His intial heart attack was about 10 years ago and he’s had numerous surgeries and medical problems.
Just last December his wife, my dear aunt, died unexpectedly in her sleep at age 63. My uncle was inconsolable. This same family has 2 sons and a daughter. One son almost died very young from a bone marrow disease. His sister donated marrow and he lived and is now 30. The other son had non Hodgkin’s lymphoma several years ago and is now fine. The daughter stuggles with morbid obeseity.
They have had a very Job like physical existence. However their spiritual life is gloriously awesome. They are all filled with the spirit of The Lord.
At the burial service, there was not a huge crowd, maybe 12 of us. The family of my uncle resides on the east coast and they had all been here in December for my aunt’s funeral. They all decided to send the money they’d use on airfare for the kids to use on burial expenses.
Three persons at the burial gathering on Monday had planned something to say. When they were done, the oldest son asked if anyone else had anything to add. At first there was silence. Then my sweet cousin who had lost her mom and dad in 4 months time softly sobbed.
Even though I totally get brain freeze with public speaking, I could not help but speak up. A scripture I had added to my journal when my aunt died in December came to mind. I recited it to the small group. It is 2 Corinthians 5:8 “Sorrow not, even as them who have no hope, for we know that to be absent from the body is to be present with The Lord.”
The death of my uncle who was so ill, was still an unexpected violent death with the train wreck. These kids had no time to make up any kind of program for the service. We winged it.
More silence after everyone nodded in agreement with the Corinthians passage.
Then I asked if we might say The Lord’s Prayer since we all knew it by heart. We recited that with conviction.
Those 3 kids, even though adults, are now orphans. I am so glad they all have a deep belief in the saving grace of Jesus.
I whispered to my cousin as she wept that God will heal her broken heart. I steadied my 91 year old grama as we walked out of the building. She seems to be shrinking these last few years. I think I could carry her now. She has borne the deaths of her youngest son(54), youngest daugher(63), husband, and 2 son-in-laws in the last 9 years. It is amazing her little grama heart can absorb all that sorrow.
But we will not sorrow as those who have no hope, for we know that these dearly departed ones are not here on Earth because they are with The Lord. That is where we all want to be! Peace everyone, thanks for listening. Yes I am fine, I just feel bad for my cousins, for their loss of both parents so young. They are strong in The Lord and will heal with time. Thanks for your concern.
