I Will Praise YOU In The Storm!!

Everyday, you have a decision. You have a decision to give God 1st place in your life... or not. You have a decision to acknowledge God in your ways... or not.

Job, a servant of the Lord, chose to follow God instead of ignoring Him. That loyalty was tested when Satan, the accuser of the brethren, came on the scene one day.

Satan saw Job, a 'perfect' [blameless] and upright man, following God in all that he did, and wanted to see if Job's loyalty had a solid foundation or not. So Satan went to God and got permission from God to test Job's faith.

Not everything in this life is understandable. Sometimes a loved one gets sick and it's a slow, enduring process; sometimes bodily pain wears us down so much that we question why God lets us endure those things.

Job did not. We need to learn from him.

Job 1:13-22:
"And there was a day when his sons and his daughters were eating and drinking wine in their eldest brother's house: and there came a messenger unto Job, and said, The oxen were plowing, and the asses feeding beside them: and the Sabeans fell upon them, and took them away; yea, they have slain the servants with the edge of the sword; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee.

While he was yet speaking, there came also another, and said, The fire of God is fallen from heaven, and hath burned up the sheep, and the servants, and consumed them; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee.

While he was yet speaking, there came also another, and said, The Chaldeans made out three bands, and fell upon the camels, and have carried them away, yea, and slain the servants with the edge of the sword; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee.

While he was yet speaking, there came also another, and said, Thy sons and thy daughters were eating and drinking wine in their eldest brother's house: and, behold, there came a great wind from the wilderness, and smote the four corners of the house, and it fell upon the young men, and they are dead; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee.

Then Job arose, and rent his mantle [robe], and shaved his head, and fell down upon the ground, and worshipped, and said, Naked came I out of my mother's womb, and naked shall I return thither: the LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord. 
In all this Job sinned not, nor charged God foolishly."

Imagine having your livelihood, all of your "business", per se, taken away from you; your family killed. I don't know how you would be, but I would, to my shame, probably start blaming God and "charging Him foolishly" for the bad things that happen in my life.

But don't we do that already? 

God's Holy Word says "In ALL things, give thanks."  Not just in the good things, but also in the BAD! 
I have learned a lot of things in the last few years about my God and the Christian life and ways, and one of the most useful pieces of wisdom I have come across is this: the "trials" of this life are meant for our good and God was at the beginning of them, He is with us as we go through the storms, and He is already at the end of this dark tunnel and has supplied His abundant grace for every inch of the path. 

If you are a child of God, you are not alone!!!

"I will never leave thee nor forsake thee", God says in Hebrews 13:5. That is such a comfort to me! I hope it is to you as well.

I pray that each of you reading this knows the joy and peace of knowing that God is Lord of your life and you always have Him to take care of you and guide you through this life of trials and hard times.

Just think, we that are saved are Heaven-bound and won't face any hard or difficult times when we get to Glory!! Gives you something to be thankful for and shout about down here, huh? 

God bless you!