Many of us misunderstand God. Especially if we are strong believers, we appear to assume that our life should run smoothly, without serious setbacks. When we live for God, when we’re obedient to Scripture, when we follow Jesus, no accident, disaster, or tragedy will mar our upward ascent toward progress, success, and achievement. Psalm 91, for example, seems to provide strong support for this assumption. “If you make the Most High your dwelling,” says v. 9, “then no harm will befall you, no disaster will come near your tent.” Because we trust in God, we are safe. This is an important theme in Scripture, reflected in Deuteronomy, the historical books and the prophets.
But exceptions crop up; life is not inevitable progress. Job is a case in point. Here is a man who, according to the narrator (1:1) and to the Lord (1:8; 2:3) is righteous. If anything, Job demonstrated scrupulosity beyond the ordinary, in regularly calling for his children to purify themselves and in offering sacrifices for them, in case they sin by cursing God secretly. Job, nevertheless, encountered a quick succession of disasters similar to what some right now experience in California. “It is with heavy hearts we share that our dear friend and partner, Rebecca Riskin, has passed away as a result of the tragic flooding and mudslides in Montecito,” says her luxury real estate company, Riskin Partners, on Facebook. Flooding also claimed the life a founder of a Catholic school and damaged or destroyed homes owned by Oprah Winfrey and Ellen DeGeneris.
If we believe in our own inviolability, we likely will find our faith severely challenged when life reverses. Without morbid preoccupation, we nevertheless do well to live with a sense of the fragility of life. We have no guarantees of success, progress, or or life itself. No guarantees against loss, tragedy, and death. Job reminds us of this.
[Sources: http://www.foxnews.com/us/2018/01/11/california-mudslide-victims-include-founder-catholic-school-first-lady-luxury-real-estate.html Who They Were: The Victims of Montecito Mudslides, Los Angeles Times Staff 1/12/18 Picture: Family photo, LA Times]