Will You Accept Trouble from God?
We are a lovely shade of purple here today. That’s the real-time air quality report color for Kalispell, Montana: very unhealthy –just a scosh under bright red, which is hazardous.
Lungs are burning. Asthma inhalers are being used more often. We can look right at the sun in broad daylight, which is kind of funny after the big solar eclipse mania. We’ll remember this as the summer half of Montana burned.
My personal response is to feel panic. The forest fire smoke is emotionally oppressive, and it’s hard not to get upset when they tell us that only snow is going to put out these fires.
Sometimes it doesn’t snow until November. That is a long time from now.
But my mind goes to Job, and I use the Scripture to inform myself how to think about this catastrophe we’re experiencing.
In the book of Job, God gives Satan permission to test Job’s heart. Satan takes everything –home, livelihood, children, and health. After a day of calamities, Job has a heated conversation with his wife and asks her this question:
Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble? (Job 2:10 NIV)
So I borrow the question and present it to my own soul.
Well?
Will you accept lovely summer days from God but not smoke-filled, forest fire days? Is that how it’s going to be?
Then I mentally flip to the end of Job’s story, when God gives Job some much-needed perspective during his painful trial.
Where were you when I laid the earth’s foundation?
Tell me, if you understand.
Who marked off its dimensions? Surely you know!
Who stretched a measuring line across it? (Job 38:4-5)
Can you raise your voice to the clouds and cover yourself with a flood of water?
Do you send the lightning bolts on their way?
Do they report to you, ‘Here we are’? (Job 38:34-35)
The weather report says there’s a chance for dry thunderstorms this weekend. I want to beg the Lord for rain, but before I do the asking, I go to my knees in a worship that wipes away the panic and fills me with love and awe.
The lightning bolts report to God before they leave the clouds. I picture their salute.
The clouds drop no water until they hear a go command from the Lord.
Can you feel our complete dependence on God, to change our situation? Only the snow will put out the forest fires, and I listen to God ask Job:
Have you entered the storehouses of the snow…? (Job 28:22)
God is keeping the snow behind locked doors –maybe testing our souls the way he allowed Job’s to be tested. So I say to the Lord, “Yes, I will accept this trouble from you. I will praise your name and confess my dependence and rejoice in you on the purple day, when the air quality is miserable and extremely unhealthy.”
And now the question for you –will you accept trouble from God, who is in control of what’s coming your way?
Whew!!!! Thank you…am late reading this…but needed it today!!! Hugs from NC!!!
Thank you for your inspiration. My family and I have a major hurricane headed toward our state and I am trying my best to trust and have faith. Each day waiting and wondering what will be, is a struggle, but I know God has got this and will see us through whatever happens!. Thanks
I’m so sorry! Many of my dear friends just endured Hurricane Harvey, so my heart is heavy for you in this. I know it’s extremely stressful, but I pray this will be a great opportunity for your soul to grow deep roots in the Lord.
I like to think I can handle some trouble but when it comes to your kids, it’s a whole different kind of trouble. My 17 year old daughter is suffering her first broken heart and a possible season ending knee injury all at the same time, and it’s her senior year. She is absolutely overwhelmed and it breaks my heart. Trying so hard to trust God in all of this. He truly is the only one that can meet our needs. We still have hope for her knee, MRI is tomorrow. Please pray with us that it will be ok. I can’t stand the thought of not seeing her out there on that court and field. But I will remind myself that God is good no matter the outcome….
I hear you. It about rips a mom’s heart out to see her kids suffer in any way! But what an incredible opportunity for you to show her what it looks like to know God in the middle of hard times. This could be a very rich time for her soul, if you help steer her thinking in that direction. I pray the Lord will take care of your girl’s knee and her heart. May he encourage you both through all of these trials!
Appropriate for this time of hurricanes and fires. God is so big. I’m glad He promises to be with us. He sees us. He loves us.
Saying a prayer for God’s will with these fires! Be strong!
Thank you for the prayers!
Great post! I am praying for your state and asking for that snow.
Thank you so much!!
Thank you, Christy, for this post. As firefighters battle a huge fire in the Columbia River Gorge in my state of Washington (just one of several fires in the state), air quality is horrible. A weird haze envelops us, blocking the beauty of normally blue September skies, giving us mountain peaks shrouded in smoke, and making me wear a mask while doing much needed work in my garden. Yet, I will praise the Lord. I thank him for the firefighters braving the flames, smoke, and heat on our behalf. I thank Him that there has not been any loss of life. I acknowledge that He is the Creator and Sustainer of the universe and I will ask Him for mercy. For He is in control. Blessed be the Name of the Lord.
Blessings to you this morning.
Alice
It is very sad to give up our normally lovely September to smoke and ash. Our kids at school had to have recess inside yesterday, which is so weird for this time of year. But the Lord is good, and I join you in blessing his name!!
I just emailed mom telling her my heart is heavy and how do I pray for everyone who is going through the hurricanes, earthquakes and also be thankful that my family is ok without the guilt.