How Do You React To Troubled Times?

³Behold, thou hast instructed many, and thou hast strengthened the weak hands.
⁴Thy words have upholden him that was falling, and thou hast strengthened the feeble knees.
⁵But now it is come upon thee, and thou faintest; it toucheth thee, and thou art troubled.
⁶Is not this thy fear, thy confidence, thy hope, and the uprightness of thy ways?
-Job 4:3-6 (KJV)

Many of us are familiar with the story of Job. Job was tested in his faith. He lost his possessions, children and wealth in the matter of mere minutes. Job is sitting in dispair when some friends arrive. The bulk of the rest of the book of Job is his friends trying to help him overcome his dispair. I like what we read in verses 3-6 of chapter 4.

His friend is challenging Job to think about what has happened in the past. Look at verses 3-4, "Behold, thou has instructed many, and thou has strengthened the weak hands. Thy words have upholden him that was falling, and thou has strengthened the feeble knees." Essentially, his friend is saying, "Look, you have taught many, you words have strengthened many people. Your words have held up those who were on the verge of losing faith." In other words, you have helped many people, and your words have helped many people keep the faith when the going gets tough. Job was a man of God, Job was faithful to God. Read Job 1 and see the kind of man Job was. Was he just a Godly man when things were going easy? That is what satan wanted to find out, that is why Job was tested in such a huge way. Now, his friends are reminding him that he needs to practice what he preached.

Look at verses 5-6 "But now it is come upon thee, and thou faintest; it toucheth thee, and thou art troubled. Is not this thy fear, thy confidence, thy hope, and the uprightness of thy ways?" His friends are saying "Now that trouble has came upon you, you are troubled. Where is your confidence in God now?" When things fell apart in the life of Job, Job spent time in dispair and hoplesness. But, he never cursed God. He was angry with God, and who of us has never been angry with God? Job's friends challenge him. "Should not your blameless ways be your hope?"

Friends, how do you react when trouble comes your way. Trouble will come. It may be a job loss, a house foreclosure, death of a loved one, sickness of a loved one, a hurt from someone you love, or any multitude of other troubles that come upon us. How will you react. Job was blameless, that is what Scripture teaches. Yet, when trouble came his way,  he was discouraged and dismayed. How will (or how do) you react to troubled times? Think about it.