For How Long Will It Last?

Life has a way of throwing unexpected challenges our way, often when we least expect it. As believers, we are called to trust in the Most High, even when circumstances seem dire. We all have stories of how low our lives have gone and how, by the grace of God, we overcame. We’ve all faced our own “Job moments“—times of sickness, financial hardship, unemployment, or lack of joy. These are the moments when we find ourselves asking, “Where is God?”

Let’s turn to the story of Job. Job was a servant of God, immensely blessed and wealthy, known for his deep devotion and prayerfulness. The Bible describes how Job would pray and repent on behalf of his children after they had been partying. Job’s dedication to God is something many of us can relate to.

In Job 1:6-22, we find the beginning of Job’s tribulations. The Lord asks Satan, “Where have you come from?” Satan replies, “From roaming through the earth and going back and forth in it.” The Lord then says, “Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil.” God allows Satan to test Job, but with the stipulation, “Do not touch his soul.”

What follows is a cascade of suffering for Job: loss, sickness, and immense grief. Even Job’s wife tells him, “Curse God and die!” But Job remains steadfast, replying, “Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble?” In all this, Job did not sin in what he said. His loyalty to God despite his suffering is profound.

We too, like Job, often question God during our trials. How many of us have questioned God because of losing a loved one, a job, or facing sickness? It is human nature to doubt, but Job’s story teaches us the importance of steadfast faith. Despite the length of his suffering, Job eventually understood God’s sovereignty. He says in Job 42:2, 5-6, “I know that You can do all things, and that no purpose of Yours can be thwarted…I had heard of You by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees You; therefore I despise myself, and repent in dust and ashes.”

Job’s story reminds us that God’s plans cannot be stopped. He is sovereign over all things. No matter what you are going through today, remember that God is in control. It may take time, but He will show up.

Another powerful story is that of the blind man healed at the pool of Bethesda. In John 5, Jesus visits the pool of Bethesda during the Passover. Tradition held that when the waters were stirred by an angel, the first person to enter the pool would be healed. The pool was surrounded by those who were blind, lame, and paralyzed.

Jesus encounters a man who had been infirm for thirty-eight years. Jesus asks him, “Do you want to be made well?” The man replies that he has no one to help him into the pool when the water is stirred. Jesus then says to him, “Rise, take up your bed, and walk.” Immediately, the man is healed.

Today, many of us wait by our metaphorical pool of Bethesda, longing for healing and relief from our troubles. We may suffer from physical ailments, depression, or loss. But just as Jesus healed the man at Bethesda, He is with us in our struggles. He is not limited by time or circumstance.

Job declared, “I know that my redeemer lives, and that in the end he will stand on the earth.” This declaration of faith is a reminder that no matter how long our trials last, our Redeemer is alive and sovereign.

If you are on the verge of giving up, remember that God is in control. He sees your suffering and will bring healing and restoration in His time. Keep your faith, for He is faithful and will never leave you nor forsake you.