THE RISK OF FAITH, PART 4: JOB

The Book of Job, chapters 1-2, 41, passim
David Bruce Linn, Pastor-Teacher
21 November, 2004
All Rights Reserved

The film Twister begins with serene images of a Midwestern farm. The sun is setting as mom checks on little Jo in her bed and dad draws a fresh cup of coffee. Without warning a huge storm with high winds and lightning bolts smashes into the farm. Dad realizes that a tornado is coming. The family runs for the storm shelter, jumps in, and bolts the door. They hear barking and open the door to let the family dog inside. As the wind howls the twister threatens to tear the door off the storm shelter. Dad hangs on to the handle with all his might as the door shakes so hard the hardware starts to come off. In a moment of sheer horror, the door is torn away and dad goes with it into the twister. In the morning the sun rises and the effects of the tornado are revealed: the entire farm is destroyed and mother and daughter are left alone.

We are all hoping that such disasters do not strike us or the ones we love. The Book of Job tells a story about a godly man and his family encountering disaster in spite of faith in God. We are all desperately hoping that faith is the magic which will spare us suffering in a fallen world. I have come to believe that Job describes the normal scenario for believers on the earth.

1. Attacks of Satan are normal (Job 1:6-12). I must confess that for many years I thought the scenario where Satan asks permission to attack Job was only about Job or perhaps a few other people in history. But 1 John 5:19 says "...the whole world lies in the power of the evil one." Until the omnipotent God shuts him down at the end of time we may assume that Satan has freedom to roam around and cause damage within whatever limits God sets for him. Does he actually have to come and ask to beat on your or I by name? It doesn't matter because the effect is the same. Attacks are the stuff of normal life, believers are the special object of those attacks, and God does not stop them all. Sorry!

2. The kind of losses Job experienced are normal (Job 1:13-2:8).

3. The anguish and questioning of Job are normal (Job 3:1-3, 11-13). Twisters happen--as do floods, diseases, wars, senseless crimes, fires, accidents, firings, downturns in the economy, and every kind of misfortune.

4. The pursuit of explanations for suffering are normal (Job 4:1-7). These are a lot of poetic words to say: "Ah, Job! You must have done something wrong!"

5. Betrayal by friends and loves ones in our time of distress is normal (Job 2:9). The almost unbelievable betrayal of Job by his own wife is in here so that we will see that there is no blow too low for fallen people to deliver.

6. Overwhelming--but unknown--blessings at the hand of God are normal for the believer (Job 42:1-6, 10).

Jesus Christ has sent every believer on a mission to deliver the good news to everyone regardless of race, country, or ideology. It is risky business! But is it more risky to launch forth on Christ's mission in faith or to just stay home and hope for a nice life? The story of Job is that the spiritual war of the ages comes to us wherever we are. We are exposed to losses, sickness, and heartache whatever we are doing. Job got blown up at home! The family in the Twister film was just trying to run a farm and have a family! There is no evidence that refusing the risk of faith is safer.

No, the risk of faith comes to missionaries and non-missionaries alike. I invite you to accept the risk of faith to be partners in the missionary task of Jesus Christ in three ways:

1. Accept the risk of committing time to learn about specific missionaries, communicate with them, and pray for their needs. What will happen to your schedule if you do this? I don't know, but I know that the kingdom of God will advance if you do.

2. Accept the risk of giving to missions, above and beyond regular giving to the local church. The task is a steady, long-term work until Christ comes back, and so our giving to this work should be steady and long term. What will happen to your budget if you do this? I don't know, but I know that the kingdom of God will advance if you do.

3. Accept the risk to go yourself to tell people of Christ and his love. Are you wondering what to do with your life? Perhaps you are just starting out in life, or perhaps you are retargeting yourself after a career of some sort. Do not fail to ask Christ what he would have you do and then just do it. Some of us will become missionaries in this way. As for those of us who will never go to foreign lands, will we accept the risk of faith to reach our own community? Will we invite people over for meals, give encouraging gifts, pray for people's needs, and tell them of Christ?

I do not know how God will choose to bless you if you embrace the risk of faith, but I know that he will overwhelm you with good things from his own hand. I also know that trying to avoid the risk does not work. There is a twister with your name on it--or a flood, a disease, a demonic attack, a war, a financial loss, or whatever. The question is not whether there will be trouble in this life, but whether we will spend the resources of our lives on things that really matter--eternal things.