Job 19:25, “I know that my redeemer lives...”
Elizabeth Elliot lost her husband, Jim Elliot, far sooner than expected. He was martyred on the mission field for telling others about how they can experience eternal life in Jesus Christ.
She later wrote in one of her books “As I began mission work, I expected God to operate my way. Heaven forbid anything unfavorable should interrupt my work. I expected Him to do what I asked, not realizing what it means to pray: Hallowed be Thy name, Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done. I wanted God to explain Himself to me when my expectations were turned upside down. God knew that what I really needed was not explanations but sanctification; a purifying of my notions about myself, my work, and my God. My heart needed deep and painful refinement.”[1]
There are situations that leave us bewildered, disillusioned, confused, and discouraged. What we expected to happen did not. And what we never wanted to happen perhaps did. And God might be doing a deeper work in those winter seasons than we ever expected or asked for. Somehow, in the midst of his own suffering, Job was able to hold on to this truth: “I know that my redeemer lives…” You might be in a circumstance where you don’t sense it, feel it, or even believe it. But God is alive, and He is good, and He is with you, and He is for you.
[1] ‘No graven image’ Elizabeth Elliot, p 140