Tuesday, October 13, 2009

Musing About Trials (Is Satan testing Me Like Job? Did God really send me this trial?)

I doubt that I can blame my trial on Satan a la Job (what does Satan care about me???). First of all, Job was pious and more religiously diligent than the average Jahweh-worshiper of his time and thus Job's name came up in conversation between Satan and God (apparently somehow they were still on speaking terms). Somehow (pardon the slightly sarcastic tone), if God and Satan are still having any conversation, I don't think it's about you or me (it seems just a little arrogant to think so). When trials occur, I do not think they are (usually) Personal Satanic attacks. Job's attack was personal. Satan had it in for Job because he was special.

On the question of if God sent me this specific trial, Somehow I don't think God is sitting there with a smorgasbord list of trials and testings ("Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God...neither tempteth he any man James 1:13"), looking to match them up with His children, somehow this strikes me as really out of character of a kind and loving God, though sometimes we talk as if this is the case. I just can't imagine that a good God said to himself (in my case), "Ah hah, the perfect trial for Steve--Brain Tumor!!! No, this tumor occurred in my head as a natural process, and God (in His sovereignty OK'd it as a trial that I would be allowed to go through and grow through. There exist plenty of sin-corrupted processes in this world that are consequences of the Fall, and that upon occasion can give us severe trials, such as mutated, cancerous cellsaging and its consequences, drunk, careless drivers who cause disastrous accidents,(even disasters of our own doing such as financial ruin, or not of our own doing like a lost job), and weather disasters. In His sovereignty, God ALLOWS these trials to occur in the life of His children, and his children to grow thereby, though I do think Satan will use them if he can to get the best of Christians (by urging them to become bitter or rebellious toward God, for example) (He "walks about seeking whom he may devour."). God has promised not to allow a trial that is more than we can bear, and He has promised to see us through with His amazing Grace, Love, Goodness and unlimited Strength as the Good Shepherd. I suppose this view is at odds with those who are strong on God's sovereignty, my view would be that He ALLOWSthe trial to occur (or could, just as easily, in His omnipotence and sovereignty, NOT ALLOW IT TO OCCUR). Rom. 8:28 He then uses these things in our lives to help us to grow spiritually. ("All things work together for good.") Feel free to comment.