7 May | EVERYONE
«For I know that my Redeemer lives, and He shall stand at last on the earth.» Job 19:25
The poet Medardo Ángel Silva said: “With our own trembling hands we weave our good and our evil; and we pluck our own roses as in a tragic and banal game...! And then, when looking at the poor soul, it is the anguish and despair of seeing all the gold of our heart exchanged for copper coins.”
Was this the case with Job? A good man, now turned into the sad wretch who dragged his sick body and his troubles of mysterious origin. What had he done to endure such a trial? What was his crime? He had simply walked in the ways of his God, and now he was paying the price for his integrity.
Friends told him that he must be hiding some secret sin; that no one suffers for no reason; that evil never floods the life of an obedient child. His own wife advised him to curse God and die, but amid his pain and anguish, he affirmed, “I know that my Redeemer lives, and He shall stand at last on the earth.”
I do not see the Lord anywhere, but I know He is there. Circumstances scream at me that He has abandoned me, but I know that He is by my side. I do not know when, or how, but he will raise me from the dust. His Word is eternal, His promises do not fail. The night is coming darker than ever, the sun is dying in the arms of darkness, but I know that my Redeemer lives.
Alas, Job, modern-day Job, who suffers without understanding the reason for your torments, Job of our days who agonizes in a sea of unanswered questions. Lift your eyes to the sky, even if you see nothing, even if the hurricane wind has blown everything away, leaving you in the dark. Your God is closer than you imagine.
Take Action
Maybe one day, maybe a sunny day, you will see nothing but night in your life. It is possible that this situation will last another day and one more... But wait, wait, and wait. Wait a little longer, and the day will come when the radiant sun will rise to illuminate your sadness. Sing “My Redeemer Lives” if possible, with your family.