At least three reasons can account for personal adversity: mis-spent lifestyle, humanity’s fallen state and God’s will. At least three! God’s will accounts for Job’s trials, with Job the object of God’s approval and Satan’s accusation. God’s will, the unknown factor in Job’s sorrows, leaves us with a helpful principle when counseling those under stress. When tragedy strikes:
We need to be aware that a time exists for everything in life. For example, counseling those with sickness or disease, health decline or death near means being there, with the person or family. With few words spoken—and any spoken pacific, hopeful and positive. Where death has taken a loved one, God’s Grace offered the Living. Where no sense can be made of the circumstance, God’s Peace offered with empathy, and accepted without explanation. Where faith in God is weak, assurance of the Spirit’s presence making it stronger. Where faith in God is strong, like Job’s awareness of losing what has meant most of all to him: his confidence in God, his mainstay in life, and his sense of God’s disfavor catastrophic to his intellect and emotions. ONLY FAITH suffices. Other times exist for investigation. Israel’s present fight for survival with Hamas—who knows who else?—an example. The essence now: fight to win, to destroy Hamas. For later, investigation: how could the intelligence services of all western nations, and of Israel, been so blind to the preparations for war against her? Intelligence failures being common in history, hard questions need to be asked. The lesson from Job’s sorrows is: the Golden Rule in place: offer the person God’s grace and peace, prayer and comfort. Exactly what we want and need at such a time. Fini
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