The Faith of Job

by Shelley Hitz

What can we learn from the faith of Job?

Well, for those of you who know me, I am a feeling oriented person that wears my emotions on my sleeve. And for the last week or so, I feel like I've been struggling through the roller coaster of emotions with Job.

My own struggle

I've also been feeling a spiritual battle within me. Like a pressure on my chest that comes and goes. An anxiety or stress. The other day I kept imagining lifting big rocks off my chest an placing them in Jesus' bag and would feel relief - but it would come back. I would pray against it and it would come back. I sensed God saying, "Become familiar with it, but you don't have to get used to it - fight back. Arise and take your shield of faith and sword of the Spirit."

Hmmmm....

Maybe that's been my weak point - my shield of faith. I've been struggling with unbelief regarding some of the people in my life who are struggling.

Oh Lord, forgive me for my unbelief. Why do I doubt you? I do believe, help me overcome my unbelief, Lord. Renew a right spirit within me.

A spirit of FAITH, BELIEF, believing God, believing that the same power that conquered the grave lives in me, believing in the power of prayer and intercession, believing that prayer is more effective than anything I could say or do, believing God and His Word.

Lord, without faith and belief everything else shatters and crumbles.

EVERYTHING!

You are here.
You are with me.

Circumstances can touch my stuff, my family and friends, my body, but never my spirit...unless I allow it.

Nothing and no one can force me to stop believing and trusting in you. Not a wayward friend, a broken/hurting/confused person, not sickness, not a crumbling economy, not a nation turning away from You and to themselves, not even torture and imprisonment for my faith.

Nothing can separate me from the love of God that is in Chris Jesus our Lord.

That's why Satan tries so hard to get us to believe his lies and lower our shield of faith. Otherwise we're impenetrable.

Like Job.

Satan tried everything and yet Job never cursed God. His faith and trust in God prevailed.

That's what I want to be like. And, Lord, I know I can't do it on my own strength. I'm such a pansy when it comes to pain and sickness. Only your Spirit living in me can give me what I need.

Lord, rise up within me.

Lift up the shield of faith, the spirit of trust and belief within me.

Romans 4:3

Abraham believed God and it was credited to him as righteousness.

Jeremiah 17:7-8 (AMP)

Most blessed is the man who believes in, trusts in, and relies on the Lord, and whose hope and confidence the Lord is. For he shall be like a tree planted by the waters that spreads out its roots by the river; and it shall not see and fear when heat comes; but its leaf shall be green. It shall not be anxious and full of care in the year of drought, nor shall it cease yielding fruit.