Weekly Devotional: Faith in the Midst of Pain

“At this, Job got up and tore his robe and shaved his head. Then he fell to the ground in worship 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.’ In all this, Job did not sin by charging God with wrongdoing.” (Job 1:21-22)

Have you ever felt like everything is falling apart? Like the world is against you, and there is no one on your side? Job felt that way too.

In times like this, it is easy to doubt God’s goodness. It is easy to feel like God is not good and does not have our interests at heart. Job is an incredible example, as he is faced with unthinkable distress but he rejoiced and trusted God.

This reminds me of another verse in Daniel that states, “But even if he does not, we want you to know, Your Majesty that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.” In a broader context, this verse is said my Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego as King Nebuchadnezzar threatens to throw them into the blazing furnace. In the face of death, the trio believes God will save them, and even if He doesn’t, they will still not waver in their faith.

How amazing is it that Job, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego could all praise God in the midst of pain and suffering and even death? What is it that gave them such hope and confidence in their Lord?

I believe their incredible faith came from seeing God provide time and time again. God always has a plan and always provides in the long run, even when it is hard to see in the present. Job had seen God’s consistent and provincial nature when He provided for Abraham after many years of waiting. He saw God save Noah and his family from the flood. He saw God provide manna from Heaven when He brought the Israelites out of Egypt. Job had seen God’s plan and providence prevail time after time. While his situation seemed bleak, he still knew God was good because of how He had blessed and provided for so many others, including himself.

In the same way, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego had seen God save and seen miracles like the flood and the splitting of the Red Sea. They knew God’s power. They were not afraid of the furnace because they knew their God. They knew God could save them, and they also knew that if He didn’t save them, they were still taken care of by their Savior in Heaven.

In the present day, we can still have this same hope and assurance. We can look at Biblical examples, and even real life examples, of people whom God has saved and provided for and we can take heart in knowing that He is always good and He always has a plan.

Grand Canyon University is committed to trusting God in all circumstances. If you would like to learn more about GCU’s Christian identity and heritage or would like to read more devotionals please visit our website and check out the GCU Blog.