I would like to take this time to ask you a question, a question that we all should be asking ourselves frequently. Is it well with my soul? In order to answer this question we need to truly examine ourselves from within. It is easy to go through life when things seem to be going well and you don't have to many worries or cares. Everything seems to be falling into place. You know the feelings, you can wake up in the morning, look out the window and see the world as a wonderful place. The birds are singing, the air is fresh, the sun is warming, your finances are in good shape, you have people that love and care about you. You can say with certainty, life is good. Everything is just great, at least for the most part. It's not to say that you don't have a struggle now and again and some stressful times, but at the end of the day, your good. Go home, kick back in the back yard or in your favorite chair, pop some popcorn and enjoy a good program or movie. Maybe just recline and read a good book. Yes, Life is good.
Lets examine an Old Testament patriarch named Job. I am sure you have heard of him, the one with all the troubles. In a lot of ways we can we relate to Job. He had a good family, kids, plenty of land and flocks. He was considered a wealthy man, respected throughout their community and land. Job was a person that had faith in God and lived his life accordingly. He was considered righteous. Yes, Job could get up in the morning and look out the window and truly say, life is good. Look at what the scriptures say about Job. Job 1:1-5.
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 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. His sons used to take turns holding feasts in their homes, and they would invite their sisters to eat and drink with them. When a period of feasting had run its course, Job would send and have them purified. Early in the morning he would sacrifice a burnt offering for each of them, thinking, "Perhaps my children have sinned and cursed God in their hearts." This was Job's regular custom.Job feared God and took extra precautions for his family just in case one of them might have sinned in their hearts towards God. Job knew that God would bless him as long as he followed the ways of God. Since Job did this God did bless him abundantly. Yes, Job could wake up in the morning and say, "It is well with my soul."
You and I can also be like Job and say life is good, "It is well with my soul." You see, when we accepted Christ, God made us righteous through the blood of Christ. It was by the amazing grace of God that we can say this. Job lived a righteous life and made every effort to keep his life in tune with God. We through our faith in Christ obtained righteousness, the righteousness of Christ. We can truly say because of what Christ has done for us, life is good. Yes, Job had it good and was virtually without worry, except for his children. Job would make sacrifices just in case one of them might have sinned against God. As you know the story goes on. Job's faith was about to be tested and tested hard.
Take a couple of minutes and read Job 1:6-22. Here you will find that Job's first test came, everything he had was lost, even his children. At the news of this devastation Job did not lay blame on God, Job said this,
"Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked I will depart. The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised." Job 1:21If that was not enough, a second test came not long after the first. Job 2:1-10 tells of the test of "skin for skin". A time of suffering in his own body, painful sores like boils that caused much suffering. His wife even told him to curse God and die. Job still did not sin against God. Look at what he says in response to his wife's statement,
He replied, "You are talking like a foolish woman. Shall we accept good from God, and not Trouble?"Now here's the thing, look at what Job went through, he lost everything he had, even his children, he suffered immensely with pain. Through all this Job did not lose his faith in God, Job did not lose hope in a better life. Job maintained his standards and held onto his belief's. You and I have gone through many things of our own and have maintained our belief in God. If Job would have had the song Amazing Grace in his time I am sure he would have been singing it all the time. Listen to the song by clicking on the link below. The little girl singing it surely does not know the meaning of all the words, but she sings it with conviction. Think about what you have been through in your life and remember what God has done for you throughout your life. Christ set you free from the burden of sin and has delivered you from the pit of darkness. Through Christ God has brought us back into His presence.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MS93Q4jQAO0
I am sure that Job could say through all his trials that "it was well with his soul." Even though it may have seemed like God had abandoned him as his friends may have suggested because they thought he had sinned, Job held onto his faith and never gave up. Through all the pain and suffering Job was able to maintain his perspective and remain faithful. Unlike most of us when hard times hit us we cry out asking why, why me, what did I do wrong? We think that God has forsaken us and left us stranded all alone to deal with the problems ourselves. The difference between Job and most Christians today is that we expect God to deliver us from our misery right now. Unlike Job who maintained his faith in God no matter what, we question God's faithfulness and beg for deliverance at the same time. Job could look into his soul and know that he had not sinned and God was with him. Job may not have understood what he was going through or why he had to suffer, but he knew God did not leave him. Job had a clean heart before God and that is what mattered over everything else, the loss of his children, his servants, his land, his livelihood. Through sickness and pain Job kept his heart clean before God. Job, through his emotional pain and extreme physical pain could say with all assurance, "it is well with my soul."
Now the question remains for us, can we look into our souls and know that we are in right standing with God? Remember, Job had it all, and in these good times Job did not forget God. Remember also Job went through some horrible times and yet Job did not forget God. Job could look into his inner most being and know he was still in good standing with his Creator. It is easy in the good times to say we trust in God and be thankful for all that we may have been blessed with. But, what if God allowed us to go through what Job went through to some degree, would we be able to look into our souls and say "it is well with my soul?" It is in the hard times when our faith is tested, will we pass the test? Listen to the song "It is well with my soul" by clicking on the link below, and reflect on your standing with God right now, for better or for worse, are you still faithful in your walk with Christ? Hebrews 13:5 says this,
Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you."Listen to the introduction of the song, for it is through the trials of a man that suffered great loss that this song was created and yet he could still say "It is well with my soul."
