Main Idea: When difficulties and tragedies come, we can respond in faith because we know that God is sovereign.
Head Change: To know that we do not have to understand our circumstances in order to trust God’s sovereignty.
Heart Change: To feel a sense of humility as we recognize that God’s work is centered on his glory, not ours.
Life Change: To continue to trust God through hardship, believing in his sovereignty.
Have you ever been invited backstage at a concert or public event? If so, what did you learn that added to your enjoyment of the event? If not, what would you hope to see or hear about your favorite show?
Getting a glimpse behind the scenes can give us a new perspective of the production. Our position shows us how the set and performance are made possible, and we see performers in a different light. Going behind the scenes gives us context.
The book of Job opens with a behind-the-scenes, heavenly perspective of our hardships. Pastor and author Francis Chan leads us in exploring the idea that God sometimes allows hardships in our lives yet keeps his reasons hidden. And we must decide how we will respond.
In conclusion:
Suffering is universal, but explanations for our suffering are few and far between. We want to know why bad things happen to us, if God has abandoned us, or even if we can make it to tomorrow. But the first chapter of Job shows us that we are not left alone in our pain. God is with us and has given us a community we can rely on and grieve with during hard times.
Job’s response to God is a model of faith. While we do not know why God is allowing us to suffer, we can know that God sees us, his love has not changed, and he is worthy of our worship.
