Job: From Grief to Worship

 "Then Job arose, and rent his mantle, and shaved his head, and fell down upon the ground, and worshipped," Job 1:20

All of what Job had, both of family and treasures, had just been stripped from him. It did hurt. He rent his robe, a sign of great grief. He shaved his head. A sign of shame. He fell on the ground. 

I'm thinking that there was an inner struggle at that moment. I'm wondering if Job was battling the desire to give over to the grief and the anger and the bitterness that would no doubt be pushing at the edges of his thoughts. I'm thinking that the battle was fierce, that his thoughts were running to and fro. Scattered. Untrappable. 

And then he falls down and does what a man of great faith would do. Worshipped.

Instead of continuing fighting the battle inside him, he turned his thoughts to God and who God was, and says:

"Naked came I out of my mother's womb, and naked shall I return thither: the LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD." Job 1:21

This sets an example for us to follow in times of grief. 

When we experience great loss, often we have a hard time comprehending what really just happened. Our minds shoot out thoughts in a million different directions leaving us feeling overwhelmed and dropping us to the ground. We need to get re-aligned. Refocus somehow on something that is good and comforting and able to bring order to what has become chaotic. 

And worshipping God puts everything into perspective.

Worshipping God:

1. turns our eyes back to the Creator of all, Sovereign over all;
2. reminds us that all that we have is His and nothing we have is really ours;
3. pulls us into the loving and wonderful arms of our Heavenly Father who desires to comfort us and bring us peace and order.

Worshipping God puts everything back into perspective.

Job gives us an example of how to cope in a tough situation.

Now before you beat yourself up, remember God's grace. Remember that He knows we are made of dust ("for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return" Genesis 3:19; "For he knoweth our frame; he remembereth that we are dust." Psalm 103:14). He knows our limitations and knows we are weak.

And He knows what we can chose to be or do. 

If we are willing to bow before Him, trust Him, and wait, He will bring order and peace and joy once more. To Him be all glory, honor and praise.

 

"...weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning." Psalm 30:5

"They that sow in tears shall reap in joy." Psalm 126:5

"To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the plating of the LORD, that he might be glorified." Isaiah 61:3