Patience during hard times can help get you through
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This is a Food for Thought column by Rev Duncan Macleod, Free Church minister at Dornoch
This has without any doubt been a very strange year for all of us and a very difficult one for many, and it seems certain that unless a vaccine is found it’s going to be some time before life gets back to anywhere near normal.
Our hearts go out to those who have been unwell, and especially to all who have lost loved ones over these past months.
At such a time the grace of patience is something we all need to have and as we sometimes hear reference made to “the patience of Job” I’d like to look with you at who Job was, how he exercised patience and what lessons we can learn from him.
Job was a wealthy and very devout man who lived in the Middle East many years ago, possibly at the same time as Abraham.
As we’re introduced to him there is nothing in his life to make him doubt the goodness of God.
But things change as we’re told how Satan told God that it was easy for a man to trust him when all was going well, but that Job would turn against Him if he lost all his possessions.
God, knowing that even if this happened Job would remain faithful, then gives Satan permission to take his servant’s possessions, children and health away from him, while insisting that his own life be spared, but he remains faithful, demonstrating remarkable patience as he steadfastly refuses to blame God for his misfortune.
At this point three friends try to comfort him – but fine comforters they turn out to be!
After sitting with Job in complete silence for some time (which can sometimes be the right thing to do) they at last begin to speak, but what they say is far from helpful or comforting.
One by one they tell Job that he’s suffering on account of his personal sins and that he must have done something bad to be punished in such a way.
One of them even tells him he should be thankful he has got off so lightly!
But Job knows that his conscience is clear. He is sure his suffering is undeserved and is understandably puzzled as to why God is allowing this to happen to him.
But despite it all he is not overcome, his belief in God’s goodness continues, his patience endures, and he continues to honour his Lord.
Wonderfully, the story ends on a very positive note.
God reveals himself to his servant, speaking to him out of a whirlwind, and he realises that God’s ways are higher than man’s and that his purposes are often way beyond man’s ability to understand.
Not only is Job’s wealth restored, but he receives double what he had before and is blessed with more sons and daughters.
His steadfast faith and enduring patience are rewarded.
We often get impatient when things go wrong or when providence seems to be against us and there are many in our churches as well as in the wider community who are finding the current restrictions extremely difficult to cope with or accept.
The Bible tells us to be subject to the governing authorities so long as we’re not being asked to disobey God (which, given the prohibition on singing in our church services, some would argue is actually happening.)
God’s will for us is to heed the exhortation to “be patient in tribulation and to continue steadfastly in prayer” in these trying times!
n Duncan Macleod is the Free Church minister at Dornoch.
