His wife said to him, “Are you still trying to be godly when God has done all this to you? Curse him and die.”
– Job 2:19, TLB
This is really tempting advice to take when the bottom has fallen out of one’s life.***
*** If you have a suicide plan and means, please seek out professional help! Call a local medical/mental health professional. Life is a gift, and your life is very, very precious even if it does not feel that way right now.***
It is easy to give into the demonic voices that tell you that God has forsaken you or is smiting you out of spite.
But if you are like me, you admire Job in not giving into his wife’s advice (see Job 2:20). You see amazing faith and character in a man who is no fair weather fan of God. The dude has grit. He does not run on emotion but firmly holds to his convictions and choices to follow God with integrity.
And sometimes that is all you will have in the valley of adultery discovery.
A choice:
Do I curse God and “die” OR do I choose to trust Him even though I do not feel His comfort right now?
I encourage you to choose to trust God over listening the demonic temptation to reject Him.
Anything of value usually comes with hard work where the feelings are not there. What parent does not wish their kid came with a return receipt at some point in raising him/her? And what athlete didn’t wish to skip that morning weight training session or running session?
Part of maturity says that I will stay true to my values, commitments, and convictions even when an easier or more appealing path presents itself.
It says,
“I will not cheat on my spouse just because this person is available and attractive to me (at this time for whatever reason).”
“I will choose to trust that God is faithful and present even when I feel completely abandoned by Him for I trust His word and thereby know He is here and does not ultimately forsake His children.”
“I will choose to walk the road of forgiveness even though I’d rather punch the daylights out of ___. I walk it because I am committed to following God believing He will give me grace to do this and that He will deal with the situation as a wise, good, just God.”
Some days or months you may not feel like doing some of these things. On a walk, I remember ranting to God at one point about how abandoned and beaten down I felt. God gently reminded me of His presence, which had descended upon me during a particularly special time with aunts and uncles who love me and prayed with me.
Do not let your feelings dictate your choices. They can inform you. And I encourage you to be gentle with them as with a hurt beloved child. Present them to God.
He handled Job’s emotions and King David’s.
God can handle yours.
Choose God.
