This morning the Lord my God lead me into a most peculiar conversation. He took me back to His servant Job. He showed me two distinct perspectives that are revealed as narratives. He said to me, ‘many are those who do not understand me, vilify me and are greatly troubled by what happened to Job. Many are those who argue, “why did God allow Job if he was a righteous man to suffer the way he did? Many are those who wonder why God allowed Satan to torment and inflict pain on Job the way he did.’ The Lord my God showed me, that the book of Job is a necessary narrative for all to experience. He showed me that privilege was given to the human race and that is why a witness was left behind for the human race. He showed me that the book of Job has two narratives—The unseen and seen.
It starts with the unseen. Where the angels of God and Satan come before God and God addresses Satan and also brings to his attention His righteous servant Job on the earth. This unseen narrative includes responses from Satan to God. Then the narrative goes to the seen. Where hardship befalls Job in great measure. The majority of the narrative is in the seen. This is where we can relate and sympathize with the man Job.
However, this too is where we become confused about God. The Lord my God further showed me, that if the unseen narrative was not included into this witness many would be those who would be greatly encouraged by the book of Job because Job’s end was a complete restoration. In fact! He received double from what he first had.
However, the Lord my God also showed me because it was necessary to include the unseen narrative, that many are those who are discouraged, confused, troubled and angry with God and their circumstances.
I remember a time when I was walking with someone who is very near and dear to me. I was telling them that I was in a struggle. They said to me, ‘since I’ve known you, you have been in a struggle.’ To which I responded: My constant struggles are not due to sin. They are constant because I want to know the Lord.
Much knowledge of God I have required over the years but my knowledge of Him remains incomplete. As human beings we live and operate in the seen world where our five senses dictate everything we know, perceive and experience. We are ill-equipped to comprehend the unseen world in and of ourselves. This is why God gives privilege to the human race. He is in the unseen yet chooses to operates in the seen. He merges the two narratives. He does so to the ends of harmony and unity. However, we struggle to comprehend the unseen as a result of our hardships and five senses. Hence the immeasurable value of the scriptures as recorded in the Bible and more so, the life of Jesus who is known as the Son of God [God made flesh].
I am presently in a struggle. What was said to me continues to be my ever-present reality. I am always in a struggle. The struggle to comprehend the unseen while actively living in the seen. Seeking to know the Lord my God for who He is while experiencing hardships in this world. I can recall years ago going through a great struggle. Till this day it was something that blind-sided me and I do not know why. I disconnected from everyone. If I would accept contact with someone I would say, ‘I do not trust myself right now to speak into the lives of others. But with the last ounce of strength I have in my weakness, I will point people to Jesus and tell them to follow Him and to know Him.’
I have yet to arrive at this place called [complete knowledge of God]. The hardships in this world at times distort my view of the unseen because I am overwhelmed by the seen. Yet, I can thank the Lord my God that He helps me to continue to return to focusing on Jesus. He, Jesus, is both narratives fixed in one. He is the unseen and seen. He is heaven and earth. He is spirit and flesh. He is what is referred to as the God-Man.
Many are those throughout history that can relate to the hardships of Job to some degree or another. If we haven’t, living long enough, we will experience the hardships of the world we live in. Hardships and struggles are something that we need not argue or debate. It is experienced universally. What does get debated is the unseen. However, without the unseen the seen cannot make sense. Without that narrative that began the journey we would all go on concerning the hardships of Job, we would view circumstances of life as the bad luck of the draw in which boil down to meaninglessness. But if we allow God to harmonize the unseen into the seen, Job’s end is not luck but the response of God in the life of the righteous.
Job was declared righteous [blameless and upright] by God. This view in the unseen narrative lets us know that God alone declares Man righteous. The end of the narrative of Job’s life in which was a marrying of the unseen and seen, reveals to us that God who alone declares a man righteous is also the One who alone can restore a man by His glory.
I’m sure struggles will continue to be part of my life because knowing Jesus continues to be part of my life. Now hardships as I mentioned before is not being disputed by anyone. We all will or have gone through them. This is common in the seen. The struggle of knowing Jesus while living in the seen adds a whole new dimension to hardship. It does not remove hardship, but it brings definition to hardship. So that our struggle will ultimately have meaning and I believe that meaning is found in the life, death, resurrection and ascension of Jesus. If we remove or do not seek to know the unseen as perfectly expressed and demonstrated in Jesus, our lives will ultimately have no meaning, reason and purpose.
In my struggle I will keep my eyes on Jesus. I will pray to God to help me keep my eyes on Jesus. For in that, although it may not come immediately, God’s understanding will come to me and I will have peace while I endure the hardships of this world. Job’s life and times are actually meant to encourage a world that is hurting. Letting us know, with the Lord God we can be confident, that our trials will ultimately be turned into a triumph. But this alone is accomplished with the Lord God.
Originally written on: 11/3/18 at 10:57 a.m.
Finalized and posted on: 11/5/18 at 8:04 p.m.
