"Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus."

-1 Thessalonians 5:18 (NIV)

 

In last week's blog we focused on our ability to "GIVE THANKS" amid every circumstance. As we journeyed, we mentioned how our ability to be thankful and practice gratitude can be transformative. Before we shift to a new blog topic, let's explore the idea of TRANSFORMATIVE THANKS! First, let's define transformative.

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Transformative is defined as:

causing a radical and typically positive change in outlook, character, form, or condition.

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When we don't get what we want, experience things that we don't think we deserve, when we face disappointment and setbacks, when we experience pain, and all those other trials and tribulations that make life seem unfavorable and maybe at times even unbearable, it is sometimes hard for us to 'thank God' as we encounter these things. We often find ourselves praying to God for 'things', for miracles, for blessings, and we don't want a small sign, we don't want half results, neither do we want a piece of what we have asked Him for, but we want a radical answer, a radical sign, and a radical blessing, to occur as a result of our request that is rooted in our non-existent gratitude for what God has already done.

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And I know, "We are Human". We can't all pretend like it's okay when God doesn't answer like we expect Him to. We can't all pretend that it's not frustrating when we're doing the right thing and we're praying, and it seems like God is not hearing us. We can't all pretend like it isn't discouraging when it seems like for whatever reason, our prayers just aren't reaching God. And if these are your thoughts and your frustrations at least you're honest enough to admit it. However, a radical response from God is going to require a radical response from you.

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This is not a judgement call. This is not saying that we should pretend that we're good when we're not. But what it is suggesting is that we must realize that life is going to be life. Trials are going to be inevitable. We are not humanly capable of stopping disappointment, setbacks, pain, and tribulations. Therefore, we must find a way to cope that does not allow these occurrences to destroy us. We must find a way to cope that gives us hope. We must try our upmost best to not allow these things to destroy our spirit. And just as we stated in last week's blog, WE CANNOT DO IT WITHOUT GOD!

 

We most definitely need God to give us the strength to face life because some things hurt and they hurt bad! There are things that we face that may cause us to not want to love anybody else, including God. But we mustn't let this be our mindset. While many things in life might catch us by surprise, God is never surprised by ANYTHING! NOTHING SURPRISES HIM! He is prepared for whatever occurs because He is already aware of what will happen and because He is already aware of what will happen, He has already WORKED IT OUT! And although that may sound as cliché as the idea of 'thanks and gratitude', it is concrete TRUTH! There are no maybes about it. GOD CONTROLS ALL THINGS! And if we can try our very best to not just know it, but to grasp it and truly and wholeheartedly have faith in it, we will find that those "Thank You's" get a little easier.

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If we remember the story of Job, he lost practically everything within a matter of minutes including his livestock, servants, and not one but all of his children. If we read the book of Job within this account, we see Job receiving message after message after message about either his possessions or loved ones being destroyed, completely swept away. And Job's initial reaction was as follows:

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"Job tore his robe, shaved his head, and then FELL TO THE GROUND AND WORSHIPPED GOD saying, 'Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I will depart. The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised. 'In all this, Job did not sin by charging God with wrongdoing" (Job 1:21-22, NIV).

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Job's initial reaction to losing everything that he owned including his servants and children was one rooted in knowing that God was in control. He credited God for everything that he had been given, and he felt that if God took it away then God must have had a reason for it. He knew it was God that blessed him with all that he had, so it was almost as if his mindset was, "since God is the one who blessed me with it, God has every right to do with it as He pleases", even if it resulted in his own pain and suffering.

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What is interesting about this is that God really was not just in control, but God is the one that told the devil to test Job. God is the one who gave satan permission to take Job's possessions from him. God is the one that made Job seem the 'perfect' candidate:

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       One day the angels came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came with them. 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.' 'Does Job fear God for                       nothing?' Satan replied. 'Have you not put a hedge around him and his household and everything he has?  You             have blessed the work of his hands, so that his flocks and herds are spread throughout the land. But now stretch         out your hand and strike everything he has, and he will surely curse you to your face. 'The Lord said to Satan,               Very well, then, everything he has is in your power, but on the man himself do not lay a finger' (Job 1:6-12, NIV).

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Job was not aware of this conversation that had taken place between God and satan, but even without such knowledge, Job had such a reverence for God that he acknowledged that it was God who was in control, without 'truly' knowing that It was God who told satan to test him.

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We see that Job was anguished. He did not hide his pain. He mourned but he also worshipped God in the midst of what he was enduring. This may go beyond any of our natural understanding as to how someone could lose everything within a matter of minutes like Job did, and yet, still have the strength and the will to fall down and WORSHIP GOD.

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Now as if that was not enough, we find this same scenario occurring in which the angels are presenting themselves before God and satan once again appears. God asks satan just as he did during their first conversation in Job 1, where had he come from, and satan replies just as he did the first time, telling God that he had been roaming the earth back and forth and as if Job had not had enough, here goes God again asking that turbulent but omniscient question "Have you considered my servant, Job?" This is most definitely one of those stories in the bible that many of us when reading it, are clearly left scratching our heads thinking "NOW WHY WOULD GOD DO THAT?!" It was simple, HE HAD A PLAN! (Simple for God but for us seems downright complicated and hard to grasp.)

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God tells satan that although He allowed him to inflict such tragedy upon Job without reason (meaning Job had done nothing to initiate the attacks) that Job still maintained his integrity. The devil replies saying: " 'Skin for skin!' … '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' "(Job 2:4, NIV).

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God tells Satan to go ahead and do as he pleases, but he must spare Job's life. And then we read the following:

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       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 (Job 2:4-10, NIV).

 

We can all pass judgment on one another as we see people go through their trials. We all have been guilty at some point of playing the game of "Oh, that's nothing!" We have a habit of looking at the pain of others, the trials of others, and the circumstances of others and making what they are going through seem insignificant compared to what we are facing. We often say to others, "Do you want my problems, and I'll take yours instead?" What we must realize is that everybody's trials are "specific" to the call and purpose that God has for them. What may seem like an easy mountain to climb to you may be extremely difficult for someone else. In the same sense many may place judgement on your life thinking, "Please, they have it made. They shouldn't complain." And again, just because they 'think' that they can handle the battles of your life and just because they consider your issues small in comparison to their own, does not mean it's not difficult for you. It does not mean that it's not life altering for you.

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And this in a sense is what satan told God within their second conversation concerning Job. When God for a second time tells satan to consider Job and points out how Job did not lose his integrity when He allowed satan to test him by destroying everything that he had, satan's response to God was that maybe Job did not lose his integrity when he lost his 'things' or when he lost those close to him, but anyone will lose their integrity when their own bodies are attacked. Satan felt that if God allowed him to attack Job directly so that he felt physical pain, then he would most definitely turn against God. And thus, God allowed it under the condition that satan could do what he wanted to Job, but he had to spare Job's life.

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After God agreeing to allow satan to directly inflict pain on Job, we see Job being attacked with this painful affliction. We know that Job is trying to do what he can to cope. Although he is still doing what he can to cope, his wife does not have his same coping skills. She in essence tells Job that 'enough is enough'. She cannot believe that Job is still standing firm in his trust in God. She tells him to "curse God and die". She is not going through the physical pain that he is enduring but she has already had enough of it and is basically telling him to give up and give in. And his response in essence was that we have to accept both the good and the bad that God allows in our lives and he continued to trust God.

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Job most definitely had some fruits of the Spirit in him because although he is acknowledging his pain, although he is going through complete turmoil, although nothing in his life is stable, his trust in God remains firm. And if we truly reflect on it, this without doubt must be a detrimental experience for Job to go from a good, stable life to suddenly experiencing calamity after calamity. We don't know what Job endured prior to these experiences but we know that he lived a good life, and we can assume that he never had to endure anything of this magnitude because one of the things that satan says to God during their first conversation concerning Job is:

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"Does Job fear God for nothing?' …'Have you not put a hedge around him and his household and everything he has? You have blessed the work of his hands, so that his flocks and herds are spread throughout the land'" (Job 1:9-10, NIV).

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What satan was saying to God is that of course Job would fear God and have reverence for Him because His hands of protection were not just upon Job, but on everything that Job had. Satan also acknowledged that God had abundantly blessed Job, so why would someone who God favors in such a way speak against the one who has blessed and protects them.

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As we go on to read the book of Job, we find that Job's ailment worsens, and he does not have just the ailment of painful sores, but he develops an unbearable amount of other medical conditions. His entire body was under attack inside and out. We see that Job was in pain, we see that he was anguished. However, in spite of everything in Job's life going horribly wrong, there was something in him that would not let go of God.

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Job was very real about his despair. He was confused. He could not figure out why God was allowing all of these catastrophes in his life. He even questioned why it seemed that God was so far away from him. He wondered why God was not responding to his cry. He examined his life, trying to figure out what wrong he could have possibly done to deserve what he was facing. The thing that Job did not understand was that God was not responding because HE KNEW THAT JOB HAD IT! Job did not only have faith in God, but God had faith in Job. God knew that amid all Job's feelings that God had left him, he still would not sin against God. He still would not turn away from God.

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God did not hold it against Job when Job questioned where He was or why He was not helping him. We even find Job having moments in which he was suggesting that God wrongfully punished him. Job felt that God had labeled him guilty of something without cause and he wanted answers. Job defended his own integrity. God understood why Job felt as he did. Even Jesus had a "My God, why have you forsaken me" moment as he hung on the cross. God did not respond with harshness against Job rather He in His own timing, answered Job.

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When you love God and you have full faith in who He is and what He can do, when you are going through unsurmountable trials and distressing circumstances, it is hard to comprehend why God is not in that moment responding with an answer to help you out of what you are facing. However, it is often times our ability to endure the trial itself that is God's answer. It is the trial itself that is God's will for us. There are many things that we face that are very much a result of our own actions and decisions but there are some things that we experience simply because God has a plan. Job had not done anything to cause this harm upon himself, but God saw fit to use Job's response to his sufferings as a testament and an example of what it means to have trust in and hold on to God.

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Satan himself did not believe that anyone could go through what Job went through without turning from God but there was a man from Uz named Job who certainly could. Throughout Job's entire account, above questioning what he had lost and was enduring, his concern was his soul and his relationship with God. Although Job felt that God had turned against him, he at the same time affirmed his faith in God saying, "Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him." (Job 13:15, KJV). Job may have stood firm in his own belief that he was blameless, but he also trusted God to do the same. He did not understand or comprehend where he was, but he was not going to waver as it concerned who he knew he was or what he knew about God.

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If we read the entire book of Job, we find that there was an end result. We find that God finally comes to the aid of Job and speaks to him directly. God provides Job with revelation concerning his encounter. We see that Job realizes the flaws in his own thinking, and he humbles himself and repents for his thoughts. We also see that in gaining understanding, Job does not ask God to return any of the things to him that he had lost. However, God saw fit to bless him with more abundance than he had before. God cleansed Job's heart, restored his soul, and gave him an increase in all those material things that had been taken away from him.

 

Trust and Thanks

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We mentioned that without God's help, it is impossible to thank Him amid every circumstance. We cannot overcome difficulties, uncertainties, nor adversities without God. Although Job felt that God had left him, God was still with him helping him through. How do we know God was with him? If we recall both conversations between God and satan, there is something that stands out and we might miss the significance of it if we don't take time to reflect on what is happening. In the first conversation between God and satan concerning Job, when God gives satan the approval to try Job, God says:

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"Very well, then, everything he has is in your power, but on the man himself do not lay a finger" (Job 1:12, NIV).

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During their second conversation, when God gives satan approval to again test Job, God instructs him saying:

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"Very well, then, he is in your hands; but you must spare his life'" (Job 2:6, NIV).

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God still had a hedge around Job. Even if he had given satan approval to use his power and place his hands on Job, God was still in authority, and God's hands never left Job because there were instructions that God had given satan which said, "do not lay a finger on him" and "you must spare his life".

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Through both occurrences in which God gave satan permission to test Job, God did not lose his authority. He was still protecting Job even if the way in which Job was suffering may not have appeared as such. But the protection lied in the instructions that were given by God to satan during both occurrences. Job was still under God's watch and care. This proves that even when we feel like God is not with us, He is right there in our circumstances. He just has to sometimes make it appear to us that He is not there in order to test our trust and belief in Him.

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As we endure, we must first root ourselves in God and trust where He has us. It is in doing this that we can gain the trust in Him to be able to thank him during all of our circumstances. If you don't trust God, you won’t be able to thank Him during the trials of life because without trust you'll spend more time doubting that God knows what He's doing than trusting that He does, which will make it hard for you to be thankful for something that appears to have no solution or end to it. Especially, when you can't see a logical reason or purpose for having to go through it.

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The Transformation of Thanks

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Once we are able to trust God, it heightens our 'thanks' during our circumstances and allows us to have gratitude for what He has done or is doing through us.

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On last week, we see that Daniel survived the lion's den because he trusted God. Daniel knew who God was and he had a firm belief in what God could do. When Daniel faced the threat of the lion's den, we see that without much as a second thought, Daniel went straight into prayer and thanks. He did not try to figure out why God was allowing it. He simply trusted God to see him through. If we read the account in Daniel 6, it is interesting that the king was more distressed about throwing Daniel in the lion's den than Daniel was about being thrown into it. Daniel's trust in God allowed him to stand firm in his faith and give thanks.

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Job's situation was a tricky one. There was no decree. There was no if you do this, then the result will be as such. Job much like Joseph, was caught completely off guard with what he had to endure. There was no time for him to pray about it before he faced it. However, as soon as Job found himself in the midst of these unfortunate events, he fell down in worship. And his ability to fall down and worship as an initial reaction secured his survival rate in ways that he perhaps was not even aware of. It was Job's initial response that aligned with what God already knew about him. And it was his response and God's reaction to his response that not only brought him through but prospered him after he had stood firm in his trust in God.

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There is a common thread that ties the story of Daniel and Job together and it lies in their response as it relates to their perspective of the role that they played in bringing their trial upon themselves. Let's review the full verse of Job 13:15 as we initially discussed this verse in part. As it concerns Job, the full verse reads:

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"Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him: but I will maintain mine own ways before him" (Job 13:15, KJV).

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When King Darius went to the lion's den in anguish to check on Daniel, Daniel responded as follows:

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"May the king live forever! My God sent his angel, and he shut the mouths of the lions. They have not hurt me, because I was found innocent in his sight. Nor have I ever done any wrong before you, Your Majesty" (Daniel 6:21-22, NIV).

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Though they acted it out in different ways, both Job and Daniel were firm in their innocence. They both knew that they were not to blame for what they endured and because they knew this, they trusted God to see them through. They knew God was aware of this as well. Job remained firm in his innocence because he knew that to the best of his knowledge, he had maintained his ways before God and Daniel knew that he had not sinned against God in any way, shape, or form pertaining to this situation. It was actually because Daniel chose to honor God and not waver from honoring Him that resulted in him being thrown into the lion's den. We see that Job wrestled and he was in anguish, whereas we see Daniel from what we can read, remained calm and faced things head on much like Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.

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When Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego refused to bow to the golden image, they were firm in their stance that they would not dishonor God by bowing to any other God. Daniel 3:16-18 reads:

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"Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego replied to him, 'King Nebuchadnezzar,  we do not need to defend  ourselves before you in this matter. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to  deliver us from it, and he will deliver us from Your Majesty’s hand. But even if he does not, we want you to know, Your Majesty, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up' " (NIV).

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In essence, what they were saying to Nebuchadnezzar was, "you may be our king, but our God is our God, and we bow to no other." They were not going to beg or plead with Nebuchadnezzar nor argue as to why they were choosing to remain faithful to their God. They just wanted to make it clear to him that all he needed to know is that they would not bow to anyone except God. They made it clear that he had no power over them but that the power lied in the hands of their God who could and would deliver them from the fiery furnace.

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And they went even further by telling Nebuchadnezzar that even if God did not deliver them, bowing to another God was still non-negotiable. Here we see another initial reaction of COMPLETE TRUST in GOD! After going into the fire and not being harmed, burned, or smelling like smoke, it did not take much for Nebuchadnezzar to figure out what had occurred. Nebuchadnezzar exclaimed:

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"PRAISE BE TO THE GOD OF SHADRACH, MESHACH AND ABEDNEGO, who has sent his angel and RESCUED HIS SERVANTS! THEY TRUSTED IN HIM and DEFIED THE KING’S COMMAND and were willing to give up their lives rather than serve or worship any god except their own God" (Daniel 3:28, NIV).

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In a sense Nebuchadnezzar proclaims their innocence for them. They would not defend themselves, but God allowed them to be vindicated from the very one who "charged" them as being wrong.

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Does God expect us to be like Job, Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, or Abednego? No, God made us all different. We are not the same and how we respond to things will vary. Faith is not cookie-cutter. We cannot try to 'faith it' like someone else does. We see that although Job, Daniel, and the Hebrew Boys all trusted God, they acted it out in different ways.

We see that Job had moments of uncertainty, distress, and much realness about how he felt and what he was feeling, but he trusted. We see that Daniel simply prayed and gave thanks. He did not try to defend his actions before Kiing Darius, beg nor plead. He did not make known to the king that he was not going to allow anyone to stop him from praying to his God. He let go and let God. And we see that Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego stood firm in the face of Nebuchadnezzar refusing to defend themselves but being sure to make it known to him who their God was, what their God could do, and what they were not going to do.

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Different people, different circumstances, different ways in which they responded, however, SAME GOD that they served and same results acted out in different ways through different outcomes. And that 'same result' was that GOD WORKED IT OUT! HE SAW THEM ALL THROUGH! He responded radically because they reacted radically.

We mentioned that the definition of transformative was, "causing a radical and typically positive change in outlook, character, form, or condition". It does not matter if you've struggled to get it right in the past. You can't change that now. But if right now, in whatever you are facing, if you are struggling to praise your way through, if you are struggling to stay positive, if you are struggling to see any good in where you are, if you are struggling to thank God as you endure, know that if you can 'CHANGE' your current stance and trust God, He will transform the situation. If you can amid your difficulty find it within yourself to transform your thinking that things won't work out and trust God and allow the transforming of your trust in Him to produce a transformation in your ability to thank Him while you endure, God will in turn transform the situation on your behalf.

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God is not expecting you to be Job, Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, or Abednego. He wants you to be you. He wants you to be who He created you to be. However, He wants you to trust Him. He wants you to stand firm on what He can do for you. He wants you to 'THANK HIM' in spite of the storm. If you find yourself wavering in your ability to trust Him, simply talk to God and ask Him to help you. Pour out your heart to God and repent for doubting Him and choose to believe that HE WILL WORK IT OUT! And if you are already trusting, if you are already standing firm, and if you are already thanking Him in the midst of your storm, then hold fast, don't give up, God is watching and waiting, and in any moment, He will bring you out, just like He did Job.

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The truth is that many of us may never receive a revelation like Job did as it concerns our own circumstances, but even without having the answers that we want, even without understanding anything about what we went through, or what God was doing, we still have to trust that He knows what He's doing. We have to trust that He is working it out. Is it easy? No!... Is it possible? Only with God!

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If trials are inevitable, why not take the weight off of yourself and put it in the hands of not just the One but the ONLY ONE who can protect, restore, close the mouth of lions, and make those who trust in Him fireproof. Who BUT GOD, can make the very ones who brought charges against you, not only vindicate you but Glorify His name in the process? Giving thanks amidst all your circumstances truly is transformative, but first you have to transform your thinking and then watch God transform the situation!