Calamity & Chaos
There are times in life when it seems like things are coming apart at the seams. Everything seems to be crashing down around me. I’ve been through times of major uncertainty financially. I’ve experienced the struggle of my kid fighting cancer and winning the fight in less than 6 months. In the middle of the calamity and chaos, it seems like it will last forever. Looking back it’s coming up on 5 years ago and the depth of the struggle is getting smaller in my rear view mirror. I don’t think the memories of that experience will go away anytime soon, but they do become a bit more manageable.
Job was definitely in the middle of calamity and chaos. His life was way different than just a few months before. He has lost his family, his possessions and his health. He is miserable and suffering from open sores all over his body. His friends are accusing him of sin and he knows that he hasn’t gone that route. He doesn’t understand how God could let this happen to him. His “friend” Bildad the Shuhite (I’ve been told that Bildad is the shortest man in the Bible! Wink-Wink!) jumps in with his own commentary. Check this out…
5 ‘The lamp of a wicked man is snuffed out;
the flame of his fire stops burning.
6 The light in his tent becomes dark;
the lamp beside him goes out.
7 The vigour of his step is weakened;
his own schemes throw him down.
12 Calamity is hungry for him;
disaster is ready for him when he falls.
13 It eats away parts of his skin;
death’s firstborn devours his limbs.
14 He is torn from the security of his tent
and marched off to the king of terrors.
21 Surely such is the dwelling of an evil man;
such is the place of one who does not know God.’ (Job 18:5-7; 12-14; 21 NIV)
I think back over the back-story of my life and I experienced some chaos and calamity, but nowhere near the scale that Job is experiencing. He is really battling to keep his sanity in the midst of a crazy, painful journey. His friends do lecture a bit and accuse him, but he keeps on “plowing through the pain”. They call him “evil man” and yet he’s done nothing to deserve this.
I think there have been tragedies in our world that I can’t explain for sure – the death of a child, or the death of a young mom or dad. I don’t always understand why bad things happen to good people – but they do. I don’t always understand why God doesn’t jump in and save the day. I have learned to trust His heart even when I can’t see His hand at work.
Calamity and Chaos leave the room when The Lord enters. He comes in bringing hope. He brings peace in the middle of the storm. He brings calm in the middle of crisis. Job is leaning on the Lord and that’s exactly what I must do too.
Pressing On!
Dwayne