Have you had an amazing worship experience? Were you alone in the mountains, or at a camp or retreat? Or in a quiet cathedral? Or perhaps an arena with spotlights, smoke machines, and thrilling music performed by rocking musicians?
Job lost more than most of us will ever own. In a single day he lost 7,000 sheep, 3,000 camels, 1,000 oxen, 500 female donkeys, an unknown number of servants, 7 adult sons, and 3 adult daughters. Job understood suffering.
On top of that, Job had spent years in business, government, and the law; he had watched God humble the powerful:
“True wisdom and power belong to Him… He leads counselors away stripped of their power and makes judges go mad. He releases the shackles put on by kings and fastens chains around kings’ waists. He leads priests away in shame and overthrows established leaders. He deprives trusted advisers of speech and takes away elders’ good judgment. He pours out contempt on nobles and disarms the strong… He makes nations great, then destroys them… He deprives the world’s leaders of reason … they grope in darkness without a light” Job 12:16-25.
Over and over, Job has seen God humble powerful men. And now God has humbled Job. In fact, God has taken everything from him, including his ten children. Job is HURTING. This man of ‘perfect integrity’ stares into the face of savage loss and what does he do? Does he reject God? No. He WORSHIPS.
“Though He SLAY ME, yet will I trust Him” Job 13:15.
Your worship will never be sweeter than when you worship IN SPITE of suffering. The best praise you will ever give God will be when you are staring into the face of evil. If you can praise God when you are at the bottom, then your faith is so pure. Few worship experiences will ever top simply praising God through your own tears.
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