Job 2:9 Then his wife said to him, "Do you still hold fast your integrity? Curse God and die!"
2010! We made it to another year. As the new year begins I would like to encourage you with a powerful perspective that comes out of the marriage of Job and his wife in the Bible. In a manner of a few hours Job and his wife lose absolutely everything they own - houses, land, 401k, job, life savings, honor, dignity, and their ten children - absolutely everything. Yet in their loss they share with us a powerful marriage principle - the power of a CHOICE.
At the absolute lowest point of their marriage when this couple has lost everything most people tie to there sanity and self-worth, that Job’s wife tells Job to curse God and die. While clearly not the model of a supportive spouse we would draw to in a time of crisis, it is a clear indication of her CHOICE to turn from God.
Mrs. Job’s CHOICE coupled with the high divorce rate in our modern marriages among those both inside and outside of the Christian faith brings us face to face with a reality that every marriage is susceptible to. That reality is that beyond religious cliches there are tough circumstances that can lead either one or both spouses to say, “I have had enough”.
While Job’s wife models how many respond to the loss of every semblance of balance in a marriage, Job takes the road less travelled by CHOOSING to exercise an unshakable trust in God as he said, ’Naked I came from my mother’s womb, And naked I shall return there. The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away. Blessed be the name of the LORD.’ Through all this, Job did not sin nor did he blame God.”
Ultimately, God rewards Job’s CHOICE by doubling and restoring all he lost - including ten more children born to Job and his wife. In marriage, even when one spouse gives up on God and the marriage - CHOOSE GOD. In the trials that face your marriage in 2010 you can choose to be like Mrs. Job and turn from God finding yourself separated from God and your spouse or CHOOSE Job’s hope of restoration through your faith in God.
I pray that in your marriage you exercise your right to choose. Happy New Year!
