The book of Job is filled with difficult teachings that are hard to deal with. For example, why would God allow Satan the ability to harm His servant? Job was a faithful, yet wealthy man who honored God with all he had. Why would God allow Satan to take away the blessings that He had given to Job?
The story is hard to understand and even harder to accept. God allowing His servant to be harmed.... just to satisfy Satan's desire to prove God wrong. Of course God knew the outcome from the beginning, so the end of the story was never in doubt. But still......?
Satan was given the ability to harm Job personally and he was stricken with sores from his head to his feet. He took a piece of broken pottery and scraped himself to find relief from the suffering from the sores. I can only imagine the appearance of the once healthy, vibrant man, rewarded for his faithfulness, now sitting in ashes, scraping his open sores. He must have been feeling pretty low. Then his wife walks in and gives him the boost he needed. "Are you still holding on to your integrity? Curse God and die!" (Job 2:9)
I love his response. I wish for this kind of integrity in my life. "You are talking like a foolish woman. Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble?" (2:10) We are told that "in all this, Job did not sin in what he said." Trouble came, his children dead, his possessions gone and suffering in his body, yet Job remained faithful.
A dear friend of mine, T.R. Bryan (Doc) lost his fight with Leukemia last night. As I was reading our daily Bible assignment, I was struck by how much Doc reminds me of Job. He lived a blessed life and in return he blessed others. He loved his family and especially his Ruth with all his heart. He gave himself away to friends and loved ones alike. I heard it said of him that he was an old school doctor and I like that. He would get up in the middle of the night to care for a sick child. He lived his life with the candle burning at both ends. He squeezed every ounce out of each moment and gave back way more than he took.
I think he would have agreed with Job! "Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble?" During my visits with him over the last four weeks, I was amazed at his wonderful attitude. He understood what he faced and faced it with integrity and honor. He was a doctor to the end, telling me about the disease and how it was affecting him and being very realistic about the outcome. He had tears in his eyes and so did I; he didn't want to leave and I didn't want to see him go. "In all this, he did not sin in his words."
He knew he had a home in a better place! He had spent his life preparing to go. "Doc" Bryan lived a life of faith and faced death the same way. Doc was a tremendous Bible student and knew exactly what the scriptures teach concerning death and eternal life.
"When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: Death has been swallowed up in victory.Where, O death, is your victory?
Where, O death, is your sting? The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ." (1 Corinthians 15:54-56)
Doc has obtained the victory that each of longs for. Yes, surely we love life here with our loved ones, but as Christians our true home is with the Father in Heaven. Our hearts are torn between wanting those we love to be with us and understanding that they must go home. I am thankful for the many years of example, friendship, love, fun and teaching that Doc poured into my life. He changed all of us for the better and he will be missed. If you want to honor his life, live yours the same way he did.... love God, love your family, love your church and give yourselves away in His service. Peace.
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