From six calamities he will rescue you; in seven no harm will touch you. ( Job 5:19)
Job has dealt with the most unimaginable horrors any man could endure. He lost his health, his wealth, and all ten of his children in a single blow. To be sure, he laments his birth, but he never stops leaning into His Lord. When Job’s three friends show up to comfort him, Eliphaz is the first to speak. And in these word’s above, we see a poetic expression “six . . . seven” which means more than many. At the deepest level, we have been given a great promise from God – regardless of how many difficulties and calamities we face, our God will repeatedly rescue us.
Job dealt with one calamity after another in rapid succession. He did not have time to process what had happened let alone recover from any of it. 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 our way to help us in times of need. Regardless of the number of storms we are currently facing, divine deliverance has been promised for each and every one of them.
We need to keep in mind that our rescue may not look exactly like we want it to look. We might be hoping for one thing, but God gives to us another thing altogether. What we can be assured of is we will be rescued in God’s way and in God’s timing. On the night Jesus was betrayed, Peter denied His Lord three times, just as Jesus said He would. Peter was down, dejected and went out and wept bitter tears of repentance. Yet, after the resurrection, Jesus rescues His beloved disciple and restores him to a place of service and Peter preaches at Pentecost and 3,000 are saved.
So, regardless of the waves of challenge you might be facing today, your God has promised to rescue you from each and every one of them. And if this finds you in no need of rescue, 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 – in a storm, coming out of a storm, or going into a storm. Let that truth set you free to faithfully focus on your Redeemer who is in the business of repeatedly rescuing you.
This is the Gospel. This is grace for your race. NEVER FORGET THAT . . . AMEN!
Grace for the Race 