“In the land of Uz there lived a man whose name was Job. This man was blameless and upright; he feared God and shunned evil. He had seven sons and three daughters, and he owned seven thousand sheep, three thousand camels, five hundred yoke of oxen and five hundred donkeys, and had a large number of servants. He was the greatest man among all the people of the East.” Job 1:1-3
More thoughts from the online Bible study on the Book of Job. If you think your life is not fair and very depressing; read about Job. Back your car out of the garage and get on the entrance ramp and head to the land of Uz. These kids in the attached photo live in rural Haiti up in the mountains. In their simple homes, they most likely sleep on a grass mat on a dirt floor, bathe with a bar of soap and cup of water and may get one meal a day. They don’t live like Job in Uz.
At times, these kid’s lives, your life and my life are difficult. That is the way we exist on this on this side of Paradise. The book of Job may cause you to say, "Life is unfair." Hardship, heartaches, and headaches. Most of us have learned to face the reality that life is difficult. But unfair? Sometimes, life is not just difficult, it's downright unfair. Welcome to Job's life in Uz.
Job was a man who had it all. He was a godly man, extremely wealthy, a fine husband, and a faithful father. In a quick and brutal sweep, he was left standing in Uz, bankrupt, homeless, helpless, and childless. He's left with the ten fresh graves of his children in a windswept valley and his wife is crying and asks Job to just “curse God and die".
Try to imagine for a moment what life is like for these Haitian children. They have a vodou priest telling them they are following a fable and the group of gang members beat them and their parents and take whatever is of use to them. Life is unfair. The only meal these kids get is at school. Life can be so unfair. There will be difficult times on this side of Paradise. Whether in Haiti or in your town; you are well aware that nothing much comes to you by way of comfort. Life can seem so unfair; you've done nothing to deserve such anguish. Take heart, God is with you…and these kids. God promises that you have a mansion in Paradise. He asks that you don’t come alone, tell another neighbor about Jesus so they can find their mansion too. It’s important that you take a close look at these five girls and three boys in the photo. Not all are wearing school uniforms. It could be laundry day or it more likely is poverty or vodou in their home. All eight of God’s children are looking at the camera. Followers of vodou believe that looking at the camera will lift your evil spirit and cause you to be weak and unprotected without it. Eight sets of bright eyes are looking at the camera. God’s children are smiling and thanking you for their daily meal from Trinity HOPE amid their difficult times.
Heavenly Father, you have called your servants to ventures of which we cannot see the ending, by paths as yet untrodden, through perils unknown. Give us faith to go out with good courage, 8not knowing where we go but only that your hand is leading us and your love supporting us through Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior. Amen.
May God be with you,
Jay