Though you have made me see troubles, many and bitter, you will restore my life again…You will increase my honor and comfort me once again. Psalm 71:20-21.

The Lord, He is the One who goes before you. He will be with you, He will not leave you nor forsake you; do not fear nor be dismayed. Deuteronomy 31:8.

In our chapter, Job 10, Job asks the things we all have asked throughout time when trials too awful to bear come upon us. Will you now turn and destroy me…Will you not turn me to dust again…v. 8, 9. In frustration Job says I will give free rein to my complaint and speak out in the bitterness of my soul…tell me what charges you have against me…v. 1, 2. Do you ever feel that way? When the evil and horrors of this world make no sense, do you question why God allows them? I admit when I have succumbed to illness, I have asked God to take me now, I don’t want to be in pain. When I watch the hate blooming in this world, I ask Him to take me now, I can’t bear the pain of that. And in his hurting, Job ascribes to God what we all do in the deepest depths of pain…Does it please you to oppress me, to spurn the work of your hands, while you smile on the plans of the wicked…If I sinned you would be watching me and would not let my offense go unpunished…you stalk me like a lion and again display your awesome power against me…v. 3, 14, 16. There was a scene in The Chosen where Matthew and his dog were sitting on the beach observing Simon in his boat frustrated with no fish to catch and yelling at God asking why…not just for no fish but for the trials of Israel and by extension the world. When he YELLS his frustration, the dog growls. Matthew reassures the dog and says sometimes even humans bite. We “bite” when we are in pain and are afraid of things we cannot control…and yes, we “bite” at God.

What do we do when we bite and rail and nothing changes? When we spend ourselves in worry and nothing is left. We trust our Creator God – Father, Son, Spirit. We turn to Him. We seek His comfort and He lifts the burden from our shoulders that cannot carry the world – and trust that God can and does carry this world and us. God has never turned away from us. We have turned away from God. Turn back. He’s here always. He helps us see a different perspective…that we are not alone ever. Do we trust God or do we trust a person, any person? Do we suffer from what God does – or do we suffer from what we do or what people do, or in Job’s case, what Satan does? God alone is God…there is no other. We were watching one of the round table discussions of Season 3 of The Chosen. One of the men said something so beautiful. When we turn to Jesus, we turn away from the life we lived apart from Him. A beautiful way to see repentance. I never liked the analogy of a 180-degree turn because that leaves me by myself still…I love turning toward Jesus. Turn to Jesus. Take His hand and let Him guide you in His love for you. He’s here. Always. Our walk forward with Him can begin now. If you lose sight of His Presence, whisper His name. Thank You, Lord, for loving us so well. You give us the choice and You heal all our wounds in your Love.