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In the Father's Arms
by Jill Briscoe
Text: Job 36, 38
Topic: How a Christian should respond to suffering
Big Idea: God watches over, comforts, and delivers us in and through suffering.
Keywords: Comforter; God, fatherhood of; Grief; Perseverance; Suffering; Witness
Introduction
- Illustration: In her world travels, Briscoe has seen enough of suffering to understand how the world breaks God's heart.
- Godly people who respond well to suffering display the fingerprints of God.
- Illustration: Briscoe's friend Ann has rejoiced in her sufferings on multiple occasions, knowing that God has a more beautiful plan than she can see.
We must insist on God's goodness, knowing that he is good.
- Illustration: Briscoe's grandson Drew couldn't understand what was happening when he had chickenpox, but just wanted to be held.
- Job 2:10
- Job had practiced receiving God's good gifts, so he was more able to receive trouble from the hands of God.
- Illustration: Briscoe's oldest son, Dave, willingly got in the car to get an x-ray, though he believed he was going to be "executed."
- We, like Job, must insist that God is good.
We must accept our suffering, knowing God will redeem it.
- Job 42:7
- God did not approve of the counsel of Job's friends because they were purporting that God sent suffering as punishment.
- We bring suffering upon ourselves through our bad choices, but God never punishes us with suffering.
- We must accept our suffering rather than feel resignation over it.
- Illustration: Elisabeth Elliot, who evangelized the tribe that martyred her husband, says: "Resignation is surrender to fate; acceptance is surrender to God."
We must act rightly before people, knowing God will act.
- Job thought and spoke rightly about God.
- Illustration: Joni Erickson Tada moved businessmen to tears by her joyful acceptance of her paralysis.
- God's waiting room is a hard place to be, but is the only place "gold faith" can be produced.
- God's knowledge is not withheld to tease but to test.
We must choose to believe God is there, knowing even when we cannot feel him.
- God will not supply feelings, but he will supply faith.
- Illustration: Briscoe remembers a time she told God that she would trust him, just like she trusted there were fish in the pond that she couldn't see.
- Illustration: Warren Wiersbe writes, "We can curse God and die, or we can trust God and grow."
- God's will is to deliver us in and deliver us out of our suffering.
- Job 42:16–17
- Illustration: Bosada, a Croatian pastor, was delivered out of terrible suffering and lives to tell of it.
Conclusion
- God will do his will and work his purpose out.
- Illustration: Briscoe found comfort during a thunderstorm in resting on her father's chest.
- We can always find rest in the Father's arms; it is a grand place to be.
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