Faithfulness

In the Bible there is a story about Job, a man who suffered greatly before God, but still remained faithful to Him. Job was a wealthy man with a large family and lots of land. He had it all and was very content. In one day, however, Job experienced a devastating loss – his ten children, his home, and all his property are destroyed. Yet despite his anger and pain, Job stays faithful to God and even praises Him. Even though Job struggles to understand why God would allow him to endure so much, he does not turn away from his faith in the Lord.

Being a faithful follower of God is not always easy. In our lifetimes, we have experienced the devastations of terrorism, natural disasters and war. As we witness the effects these events have had on the lives of many people, it can be tempting to turn away from our belief in a loving God. It can be difficult to stay faithful when bad times seem to overtake the good.

God shines through these trying times though, by giving us opportunities to turn to Him in prayer. God does not cause the suffering, but allows us to experience His is love and care for us through the comfort of family and friends. And like Job, as we seek answers to understand why bad things happen, we can grow closer to God and become even more faithful to Him.

Katherine Foord , Retreat Minister