18 While he was still speaking, yet another messenger came and said, “Your sons and daughters were feasting and drinking wine at the oldest brother’s house, 19 when suddenly a mighty wind swept in from the desert and struck the four corners of the house. It collapsed on them and they are dead, and I am the only one who has escaped to tell you!”
20 At this, Job got up and tore his robe and shaved his head. Then he fell to the ground in worship21 and said:
“Naked I came from my mother’s womb,
and naked I will depart.
The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away;
may the name of the Lord be praised.”
and naked I will depart.
The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away;
may the name of the Lord be praised.”
22 In all this, Job did not sin by charging God with wrongdoing.
Thoughts: One of the most tragic events in the Bible are the tragedies of Job. I remember Arlo Guthrie had a song in which someone said, "I have it better than him" and then he said, "what about the last guy" (the guy compared to whom no one has it better). Job was probably close to the last guy.
Job lost everything he had- but it was when he lost his family to a terrible wind storm that he reacted.
He was not stoic. He didn't say, "everything is okay." He truly grieved- tearing his robe, shaving his head in sorrow. Later (chapter 2) his immune system and health would show his grief and sorrow.
But neither did he give up on his ultimate help. He questioned God. He wondered what was going on. But he held onto his integrity and his God. It is a true witness of faith when someone does this. I have seen it in the Moore Oklahoma disaster- people holding onto God and each other in the midst of the worst kind of human tragedy. In many ways- the worst sorrow for a loving person is the loss of family.
Job lost everything he had- but it was when he lost his family to a terrible wind storm that he reacted.
He was not stoic. He didn't say, "everything is okay." He truly grieved- tearing his robe, shaving his head in sorrow. Later (chapter 2) his immune system and health would show his grief and sorrow.
But neither did he give up on his ultimate help. He questioned God. He wondered what was going on. But he held onto his integrity and his God. It is a true witness of faith when someone does this. I have seen it in the Moore Oklahoma disaster- people holding onto God and each other in the midst of the worst kind of human tragedy. In many ways- the worst sorrow for a loving person is the loss of family.
Presbyterian Disaster Assistance has some suggestions of how we may help those in such horrible tragedy: http://www.presbyterianmission.org/ministries/pda/oklahoma-tornado-may-2013/ (Give, Acts, Pray).
Pray: Father of Compassion, pour out your comfort on the people of Moore Oklahoma. Strengthen then hands of those helping, comfort those mourning with your Spirit. Lord, when great tragedy strikes, help me to be faithful to you, and to reach out to others in your name.
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