How Did I Get Here?

Welcome to today's encouragement from Our Daily Bread. Today's reading, titled How Did I Get Here?, was written by Mike Whitmer. Tiffany awoke in the pitch-black darkness of an Air Canada jet. Still wearing her seat belt, she'd slept while the other passengers exited and the plane parked. Why didn't anyone wake her? How did she get here? She shook the cobwebs from her brain and tried to remember. Have you found yourself in a place you never expected?

You're too young to have this disease and there's no cure. Your last review was excellent. Why is your position being eliminated? You were enjoying the best years of your marriage.

Now you're starting over as a single parent with a part-time job. How did I get here? Job may have wondered as he sat among the ashes. He lost his children, his wealth, and his health in no time flat.

He couldn't have guessed how he got here. He just knew he had to remember. Job remembered his Creator and how good he'd been. He told his wife, Shall we accept good from God and not trouble? Job remembered he could count on this good God to be faithful.

So he lamented. He screamed at the heavens and he mourned in hope. I know that my Redeemer lives and that in my flesh I will see God.

Job clung to hope as he remembered how the story began and how it ends. Today's Our Daily Bread devotional scripture reading is from Job chapter 2 verses 1 through 10. On another day the angels came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came with them to present himself before him. And the Lord said to Satan, Where have you come from? Satan answered the Lord, from roaming throughout the earth, going back and forth on it. Then the Lord said to Satan, Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one on earth like him. He is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil.

And he still maintains his integrity, though you incited me against him to ruin him without any reason. Skin for skin, Satan replied, A man will give all he has for his own life. But now stretch out your hand and strike his flesh and bones, and he will surely curse you to your face. The Lord said to Satan, Very well then, he is in your hands, but you must spare his life. So Satan went out from the presence of the Lord and afflicted Job with painful sores from the soles of his feet to the crown of his head.

Then Job took a piece of broken pottery and scraped himself with it as he sat among the ashes. His wife said to him, Are you still maintaining your integrity? Curse God and die.

He replied, You are talking like a foolish woman. Shall we accept good from God and not trouble? In all this, Job did not sin in what he said. Let's pray. Dear Heavenly Father, we praise You and thank You that we are fearfully and wonderfully made.

Nothing catches You off guard as You continue to create a good work in us. Help us to trust You completely so that when troubles come, our faith in You will not falter but will grow even stronger. Help us also to learn to be in tune with Your leading so we faithfully walk in the way You would have us go. Thank You, Lord. It's in Jesus' name we pray. Amen.