God’s Sovereignty in our Suffering: Proverbs 31:10 posed a unique question when it asked, “An excellent wife who can find?”
In response to this, I thought about several Biblical marriages and was hard pressed to find many wives who would fit the bill. Solomon, who had 700 wives, gave this gem of wisdom in Proverbs 21:9, “It is better to live in a corner of the housetop than in a house shared with a quarrelsome wife.” I’m not sure how many houses he owned, but Solomon probably spent a lot of time on his housetops!
There is one wife mentioned in the Bible who probably didn’t make the Proverbs 31 criteria. Her husband was described by the LORD as “blameless and upright, one who fears God and turns from evil.” He was so wealthy that he was known as the “greatest of all the people of the east!” No doubt, this man’s wife felt #BLESSED as she shared in his prosperity and enjoyed a life of ease. They had 10 children together and all seemed well.
Until it wasn’t. First, her husband’s property & servants were destroyed. Second, their children all died in a windstorm. Finally, her husband’s skin became covered with sores from the top of his head to the soles of his feet. The man she had married was suddenly an outcast and embarrassment to her.
By now you may recognize that this famous wife was married to Job, the servant of God. Her solutions to his problems were short and sweet as she said in 2:9, “Curse God and die.” Thankfully, Job didn’t listen to his wife when she gave her suggestion but took an opposite perspective. Instead of cursing God, he decided to keep living, seek the LORD and give Him praise while he suffered.
Some of Job’s discoveries became sermons in themselves. In 1:21 he said, “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return. The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD.” In 13:15 he said, “…though [God] slay me, I will hope in Him…” Then in 19:25 – 26, “For I know that my Redeemer lives, and at the last He will stand upon the earth…in my flesh I shall see God…”
Not only did Job not curse God and die, he also didn’t sin or charge God with doing wrong by him. Even while doubts and questions came to the surface, His understanding of God grew. By the end of his story, he had a clearer picture of the One he feared and bowed before Him. In 42:2 – 6, Job declared, “I know that You can do all things, and that no purpose of Yours can be thwarted…I have uttered what I did not understand, things too wonderful for me, which I did not know…I had heard of You by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees You; therefore I despise myself, and repent in dust and ashes.”
As I think about the book of Job, I wonder if Job’s wife ever regretted her advice to her husband to “Curse God and die.” Maybe in that case, the patience of Job was necessary to make amends with her! According to the narrative, Job lived another 140 years, had ten more children and his wealth doubled. I assume he had the same wife during the latter part of his life, but don’t know that for sure. Maybe he spent some time on his housetop, too!
While Job’s wife was an easy target for the sake of this writing, her words have caused me to examine my own commitment level to God. I have no idea how I would react if I lost my family, friends, health and possessions in a short period of time. I know I’d struggle to accept my new reality and have countless questions for God. I also know that He would love me through them all, just like he did with Job.
The story of Job with all its layers is one of the mysteries of the Bible that I probably won’t ever fully comprehend. The degree to which he suffered was unimaginable and doesn’t fit my nice and neat concept of “blessings.” I usually think of blessings as coming when life is going the way I want it to. However, some of God’s greatest blessings have arrived on darker days. It was at those moments that the LORD overwhelmed me with His goodness, mercy and grace. In His presence I felt truly blessed.
One of those times came as my mother was dying from cancer. She asked me to record a song for her called “Blessings” by Laura Story. I set her phone on record and sang my way through its lyrics as tears flowed down my cheeks. Its words about suffering and God’s mercy were powerful ones we both needed to hear, “ ’Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops? What if Your healing comes through tears? What if a thousand sleepless nights are what it takes to know You’re near? And what if trials of this life are Your mercies in disguise?”
Job recognized the mercy of the LORD before, during and after his times of suffering. Although Job was known for being patient, God Himself is more so. 2 Peter 3:9 says, “The Lord is not slow to fulfill His promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance…” Job made it there. I’m hopeful his wife did, too. Now it’s my turn to acknowledge God’s sovereignty over my life, thank Him for the good and bad things that come my way, and keep blessing His Name.
[The Harmons and McCombs were at language study together in France, both appointed by different mission organizations to serve in the city of Dakar, Senegal. Terri and Nancy then had the joy of meeting regularly with a group of Christian women and their toddlers. The “Play Group – Prayer Group,” encouraged one another in the Lord while involved in many different capacities with their husbands. Terri writes “Vignettes to Live By” and sends them out a few times a month to friends on her mailing list. Enjoy soaking in her wit and wisdom.]