We’ve all been there. On hold. Again.
“Your call is important to us. Please continue to hold.” Then, more elevator music.
Patience is hard. That’s why we have an expression for people who seem to have an endless supply of it: “He has the patience of Job.”
But here’s a little secret. If you actually read the book of Job, he wasn’t all that patient.
In a single day, Job lost his oxen, his donkeys, his sheep, his camels, his servants, and worst of all, all ten of his children. Then he lost his health, breaking out in painful sores from head to toe.
At first, Job handled it remarkably well: “The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away; may the name of the LORD be praised.”
But then the days dragged on. And Job let God have it. He cursed the day he was born. He complained. He argued. He demanded a hearing. For about 35 chapters, Job asked, “Why?”
So, why do we still talk about “the patience of Job”?
Because through all the complaining and all the questions, Job never let go of God. Not once. He may have shaken his fist at heaven, but he never turned his back on it. And right in the middle of his misery, Job said something remarkable: “I know that my redeemer lives.”
That’s what patience really is. Patience is not keeping quiet. Patience is holding on.
God can handle your questions. He can handle your complaints. He just wants you to stay on the line.
And how did Job’s story end? God restored his fortunes and gave him twice as much as he had before.
So, the next time you find yourself on hold with heaven, don’t hang up. Your call really is important to Him.
Prayer:
Dear Heavenly Father, thank-you for listening to all my questions, even the angry ones. Thank-you for giving me the patience of Job, so that I will hold on to You no matter how long I have to wait. Thank-you that my Redeemer lives. In the name of Jesus, Amen.
Wikipedia: Job (biblical figure), Book of Job
Look-It Up:
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.
I know that my redeemer lives, and that in the end he will stand on the earth.
After Job had prayed for his friends, the LORD restored his fortunes and gave him twice as much as he had before.
Free Bonus:
The phrase “the patience of Job” comes from the King James translation of James 5:11. The NIV calls it “Job’s perseverance.”
Look closely at the ending. Job’s sheep, camels, oxen, and donkeys were all doubled. But he received the same number of children as before, seven sons and three daughters. Many have noted that his first ten children weren’t really lost. They were waiting for him.
Job’s three friends did their best work at the very beginning. They sat with him on the ground for seven days and seven nights without saying a word (Job 2:13). It was when they started talking that the trouble began.
The famous aria “I Know That My Redeemer Liveth” in Handel’s Messiah is taken from Job 19:25.