I do believe that my favorite section of Job is when the Lord asks Job to consider the Leviathan. First this is an ancient sea creature. It was massive in size and feared by fisherman. It was a river monster! God said to Job, "Lay your hand on him; remember the battle; you will not do it again" (Job 41:8)!
In yesterday's post, I discussed life as being hard. Maybe, life is like the Leviathan. It's big; it's tough; it's scary; it hurts. I am sure you can add your own "life is hard because . . ." You and I wrestle with the difficulties of life constantly, and we don't forget the battle.
None of us would purposely create a hard life just to live through the everyday pains and trials for the fun of it. But they exist don't they, and we did not purposefully ask for them did we? If I had to do many things over, in the knowledge I have now, I do not think I would do them again. I know the same is true of you. The individual does not go out looking to fight Leviathan (unless they are insane), but Leviathan shows up unexpected or unannounced. We might say our paths cross. Hard life is the same way.
So, here is why I think life is hard. First, know this, my world view informs me.My world view is a Biblical view. Life is not hard because I seek to make it hard. Life is hard because God is instructing me. You face difficulties in life because God is instructing you.
Our lives are being lived out before a sovereign God who is perfect in all His ways. We are sinful in all of ours. Our lives, our thoughts, our motives are directly opposed to God so we live lives that arouse his anger. Now before you get mad, God is love, but God is God and He loves that which is righteous and hates that which is wicked. If He did not hate the wicked how could He be love? If all He did was love everything, He would not be love but He would be indifferent, and God is not indifferent! But in His hatred of wickedness and His love of righteousness, He directs difficulties to come into our lives. Why you may ask? He does so to turn our attention to Him and His mercy and forgiveness. So instead of instantly destroying us because of sin, He turns us to Him. (I don't know how you feel, but this is a much better alternative than instant destruction.)
The Lord God wants our attention focused on Him. Before you say that is selfish, let me say that all good things come from God. He has every good thing. I do not have any good in me. If I focus on myself, I focus on that which is not good. If I focus on the Lord Jesus Christ (who gave His good life on behalf of my bad life) I focus on that which is not only good but perfect. In fact, to focus on the reality that God the Father gave us His only Son and that the only Son, Jesus Christ, freely gave His life for my sin and yours is selflessness at its maximum.
In the hardness of life, God in His mercy is calling us to look to Him and the good that He has to offer. That offer is extended to man through Jesus Christ. The hardness of life is a result of sin. Jesus Christ forgives sin, and helps us to live through the hardness of life by turning our attentions to all the good that is in Him. Praise God!
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