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Season 3, Episode 9
For Friday, April 8, 2016
“Worshipping When It’s Hard”
HOST: Wade Webster
Show Notes:
The Bible gives us an example in Job of one who worshipped God despite his difficult circumstances.
Episode Transcript:
When we visit with those who have not been at worship services, they often speak of the difficult circumstances of their lives that have kept them away. They mention things like financial setbacks, sudden tragedies, marriage problems, or mistreatment by others. While we never want to make light of anyone’s trials or problems, we also don’t want to make more of them than we should. We certainly don’t want them to let these things serve as a crutch to support their unfaithfulness.
I think that it is interesting that the Bible gives us an example of someone who faced all of these difficult circumstances and still worshiped God. Severe financial losses didn’t keep him from worshipping God. Sudden, unimaginable tragedy didn’t keep him from worshipping either. An unsupportive spouse didn’t keep him away. The cold and calloused comments of his friends didn’t deter him. Rather than keeping him from worship, these difficult circumstances seemed to drive him to his knees. They seemed to move him to worship. Of course, by now, you’ve probably guessed that the man that I have in mind is Job. I feel confident that none of us has ever faced as much as he faced. Yet, he kept worshipping. He lost his sheep, his oxen, his asses, and his camels one right after the others. He lost his servants. No doubt, they were like family to him. He had spent years training them to do their respective jobs. He lost all ten of his children in one day. Yet, he kept worshiping. He lost the support of his spouse. Seeing his intense suffering, she encouraged him to curse God and die. He endured the mistreatment of his friends. They accused him of being a great dinner who was getting less than he deserved. Yet, he kept on worshiping. At the end of a particularly long and hard day, we read, “Then Job arose, and rent his mantle, 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” (Job 1:20-22). At the end of another hard day, we read, “What? shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil?” (Job 2:10). Clearly, Job didn’t let the difficulties he faced determine whether or not he worshipped God. His trust was in God no matter what happened. His faithfulness to God wasn’t determined by circumstances. In the thirteen chapter, he declared, “Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him: but I will maintain mine own ways before him” (Job 13:15).
As we get ready to worship this week, let’s not let anything stand in our way. No matter how difficult our week has been, let’s make sure that we still worship. No matter, how difficult the upcoming week appears to be shaping up, let’s still worship God. If we are tempted to miss because of our difficulties, we need to read the first two chapters of Job. I think that spending some time with Job will help us to put things back into perspective.
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