Mourning With Hope Part 3.

Ashley Thaba | Monday March 1, 2021 14:55

Her words are below:

Job was hit by a “personal pandemic!” There are many lessons we can learn from his life and how he responded to his own “personal pandemic!” In today’s article I want to focus on two responses-grief and worship.

 Job grieved the loss of his children, possessions, and health. When Job heard the news of his loss, he stood up, tore his clothes, and shaved his heard.  In Job 2 we read that his friends travelled to comfort him. They almost failed to recognise him (effects of immense pain that is beyond description.) For seven days and seven nights they did not say a word. Imagine! Together Job and his friends grieved. Later they began to talk. Real conversations- conversations that were sincere and honest.  From the conversations, we can tell Job’s deep pain and agony. Yet Job never sinned against God.

He knew his place as a child of God. He did not need to hide anything. In my grief journey l learned to be more real with God. I have shed tears before Him, I have told Him how painful it is, I have confessed my fears etc. I have learned the art of shutting the door and cry, not just cry but cry and talk to God. I have learned the art of having real conversations with God anytime.

Job had every reason to doubt God, question God and quit! However, Job remained faithful to God.  In Job 1 vs 21, Job says: “…naked I came from my mother’s womb and naked I shall depart.

The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away, may the name of the Lord be praised!’’  How can someone who had been reduced to nothing say these words? How can one worship in pain? His response helped me understand that Job knew that whatever he had; it was from God.

He knew that God had the power to stop and allow things to happen in his life-for sure we know that Satan had to ask for permission from God. No wonder he said to his wife, “you are talking like a foolish woman. Shall we accept good from God and not trouble.” Such absolute faith! Faith that says, “yes, it is not adding up, yes it painful, yes I have become a laughingstock etc but still I will trust God.” In my first article I mentioned that it is easy to associate any form of pain from the devil.

Once one associate pain from the devil, one will cease to see God’s power. I know for sure that our enemy is the devil.

I know he roars like a lion; he came to steal, kill, and destroy but Jesus came that we may have life in abundance! What a contrast! We need to keep reminding ourselves certain scriptures like: “no weapon fashioned against us will prosper, God is our refuge and strength, He is our Shield, no harm will befall our tent etc.”  When He allows tough seasons in our lives we will not be destroyed. We will come out stronger. We will be restored. We will be comforted. Our broken hearts will be healed.

When we lose our loved once, we ask ourselves why they died. Is it because of generational curses? Is it a question of premature death?  Were they sick, if yes, what was the disease?  Which hospital where they in? Was it the best doctor? Is it because of sin etc? We seek cultural, spiritual, and scientific explanations, nothing wrong in doing that if we do not lose our focus on the fact that God is the ultimate Giver of life and all the blessings we have.

I am sure Job’s neighbours and relatives had such questions as well. In Job’s case, we know for sure that none of the above was true. God had allowed it. Acknowledging God as the ultimate giver of life will cause us to worship Him in our grief journey.

 Losing a loved one can cause us to doubt God. Truth- we will never be able to comprehend all the ways of God. Whilst we are on earth we know in part (I Cor 13vs 9-12.) No one is above Him; all things are under His control. We are called to trust Him completely.

In our personal pandemics, we can grieve, but not just grieve we are called to worship God!

The fact that it is painful, the fact that it hurts, the fact that it is not adding up, it does not necessarily mean that it is from the devil.

Believers mourn.

Believers do not just mourn.

Believers mourn with hope!

Ashley Thaba is a popular motivational speaker, team building facilitator, author and the Producer of a hit TV show offering practical advice to strengthen families and improve marriages! Episodes of her show can be downloaded from her website – www.ashleythaba.com. You can view some of her work on her YouTube channel: Ashley Thaba. You can buy three of her books, Dive In, Making Marriages Fun, and Conquering the Giants, on her website. You can email her at askthaba@gmail.com or follow her on Facebook at: Talking with the Thabas