Tough Times
Ten years ago, me and my family were part of a short five-part documentary series for Messages of Hope called “Chronic”. You can view it on YouTube. youtube.com/messagesofhope and go to the playlist “Chronic”.
The series is about my journey with severe chronic pain after my spinal injury and how reading the Book of Job in the Bible helped me make sense of it. In a nutshell Job’s story counters, the notion that some people have; that because you are a Christian and believe in God ONLY good things will happen to you.
When Job experiences terrible tragedy and a chronic medical condition, his wife tells him “Just give up – give up on life and give up on God” but he replies to her “…We take the good days from God—why not also the bad days?” Job 2.10 The Message
If bad things happen to you, it doesn’t mean that God doesn’t love you. Life can really hurt, but it doesn’t mean we just give up. Job – although feeling terrible physically and emotionally – ultimately didn’t give up on life and didn’t give up on God. We don’t always know why life is tough, but there is a way through it with help from others and our faith.
It’s a powerful message that has been true for me and my family.
Pastor Stephen Abraham
