Job 30:16 – DAYS OF AFFLICTION
Job 30:16 And now my soul is poured out upon me; the days of affliction have taken hold upon me.
Have you ever had a trial in your life where the first day the trial started, you boldly proclaimed to your friends and family that God will see you through? What happened to that confidence three weeks later when the trial was still going on and God had not delivered you as you had hoped? Are you still boldly proclaiming to your friends and family that God is saving you?
There comes a point in all of our lives where Satan starts to cause you to wonder whether you can trust in HIM. Maybe it is not on the first day of the trial nor on the 21st day, but if the trial lasts long enough, you will probably be like Job and start to wonder if the trial is ever going to end. Satan loves to beat you up mentally to the point that you no longer believe that God is going to deliver you. If he gets you to focus on the trial rather than the ONE who can deliver you, he hopes to win by getting you to do something that you wish you cannot do.
For thirty-three years, the Lord Jesus Christ walked on this earth. For thirty-three years, HE knew that one day HE was going to die on the cross and that HIS relationship with God would change. While scripture shows us that Jesus had regular prayer times with the Father, we know that HIS time in prayer the night before HIS death was different than the other prayers that are recorded for us.
Jesus boldly asked the Father to take away from HIM the trial that HE was about to bear. However, unlike most of us, HE also prayed that it was not HIS will but the Father’s will to be done. Jesus knew the cross HE had to bear and while HE wanted to avoid the trial, HE was willing to accept the trial for the world’s sake.
The next time you feel that your trial or temptation is too strong for you, stop and remember that you are not alone. However, unlike so many who just give up, you need to remember that God has allowed you to endure this trial and that HE has not given you a trial that you are unable to handle. Do not allow Satan to persuade you otherwise.
If you were going to run a marathon, would you stop at the 25 mile line and give up because you were too tired? If you were going to ride a century, would you stop your bike at the 95 mile line because you were too tired? If you were swimming across the English Channel, would you stop ¾ of the way across because the waves were too big and you were too tired to finish? Why should you stop running the race that God has put before you until you have completed it?
It will never be easy but you need to be patient and allow God’s perfect will to be fulfilled in God’s perfect timing. This means that you do not give up on God just because you grow weary enduring the trial that HE has put in front of you. There is a saying that it is always darkest before the dawn. So likewise, Satan will always try to get you to give up just before the trial is about to end. You never know when the end is right around the corner and you would only need to endure for a little while longer.
You must persevere and endure the race that God has set before you. It will not always be easy nor will it be over as soon as you would like. Nonetheless, if you keep your eyes upon HIM, it will be worth it all. One day, God will reward your patience and you will receive the rewards for allowing HIS trials to conform you into HIS image.