From six calamities he will rescue you; in seven no harm will touch you. (Job 5:19)
Job dealt with the most unimaginable tragedies that any man could endure. He lost his health, his wealth, and all ten of his children in a single day. To be sure, he grieved—he even lamented the day he was born—but he never stopped leaning into His Lord.
When Job’s three friends arrived to comfort him, Eliphaz was the first to speak. And in these words above, which comprise our verse of the day, we see a poetic expression in his use of “six . . . seven” which is used to mean “more than many” calamities . . . an indefinite number. Christian, you see in the words of Eliphaz that you have been given a great promise from God: regardless of how many difficulties and calamities you face, our God will repeatedly rescue you.
Job dealt with one catastrophe after another in rapid succession, like a boxer being bludgeoned on the ropes. He did not have time to process what had happened, let alone recover from any of them. Yet God was in the middle of Job’s storm and promised to rescue him over and over and over again. There is simply no limit to the resources God will send your way to help you in times of need. Regardless of the number of storms you are currently facing, divine deliverance has been promised for each and every one of them.
I say this often, but I feel I must remind you that our rescue may not look exactly like we want it to look. We may be hoping for one thing, but God gives us another thing altogether. But we can be assured that we will be rescued in God’s way and in God’s timing . . . and that that rescue will be good and perfect.
On the night Jesus was betrayed, Peter denied His Lord three times, just as Jesus had said He would. Crushed by the weight of his failure, Peter went out and wept bitter tears of repentance. Yet shortly after our Lord’s resurrection, He sought out His beloved disciple and restored him to a place of service. Not long after that, Peter preached at Pentecost and 3,000 people were saved!
Regardless of the waves of challenge you may be facing today, God has promised to rescue you from each and every one of them. And if this finds you in a place of peace and prosperity, praise your God! But prepare for the storm that is surely on the horizon. As I have said many times, there are only three positions in life: Either we are in a storm . . . coming out of a storm . . . or going into a storm. Yet in all these positions, we have a loving heavenly Father who has promised us:
Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you (Hebrews 13:5).
This is the Gospel. This is grace for your race. NEVER FORGET THAT . . . AMEN!
Grace for the Race 