“But he is unchangeable, and who can turn him back? What he desires, that he does. For he will complete what he appoints for me, and many such things are in his mind.” Job 23:13-14 (ESV)

Not long into our dinner conversation, my husband dropped a bad-news bomb. While he tried to deliver it delicately, bad news still has a way of cutting deep, no matter what package it’s in. Especially when it’s unexpected.

I set down my fork, trying to digest his words. I didn’t understand. How could his nondeployable position suddenly become deployable? My thoughts immediately wandered through worst-case scenarios:

What if he misses our baby’s birth?
Who will take me to the hospital when the baby comes?
What if something terrible happens to him while he’s gone?
Will I have to raise our child alone?

When faced with an unknown future, I often resort to thinking through the “what-ifs.” Rather than trusting that God will be with me in everything, I wonder how I’ll manage the situation on my own. I forget God is behind the scenes, working out each scenario for my good.

If anyone in the Bible knew about bad news, it was Job. In a single day, messengers brought him word that all his children had perished, his livestock was stolen, and his servants were brutally slaughtered by bandits. Talk about having to rethink the future!

But Job didn’t respond the way we might expect. In the moments after he received this news, we don’t see his mind spiral into “what-ifs.” He didn’t immediately question God or worry about what else might happen. Instead, he worshipped God, declaring that though the Lord gives and takes away, He is still worthy of praise (Job 1:20-21). Despite Job’s sorrow and grief at his monumental loss, he put God in His rightful place.

Job later admitted to his friends that he didn’t understand God’s ways. But even after loathsome sores appeared all over his body, he refused to point a festering finger and “charge God with wrong” (Job 1:22, ESV).

In the middle of Job’s messy story, we find today’s key verses:

“But [God] is unchangeable, and who can turn him back? What he desires, that he does. For he will complete what he appoints for me, and many such things are in his mind” (Job 23:13-14).

Job declared he was confident of these two things:

1. God hadn’t changed.
2. Whatever God appointed for Job would happen.

Job’s future and purpose were secure in God’s hands and would not be shaken. This was a bold declaration of who God is, and it revealed Job’s certainty of God's work even though he didn’t know the reason for his circumstances.

Friend, no matter what news we hear at the dinner table, doctor’s office or work desk, may we have this same confidence in our unchanging God. His ways are often beyond understanding, but His faithfulness endures to every generation. He will accomplish the good plans He has for us as we trust our future to Him.

Lord, I so quickly forget You’re working behind the scenes in my life. Thank You for actively turning each situation for my good. Help me to trust You even when I cannot see Your hands at work. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

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FOR DEEPER STUDY

Psalm 138:8, “The LORD will fulfill his purpose for me; your steadfast love, O LORD, endures forever. Do not forsake the work of your hands” (ESV).

Romans 8:28, “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose” (ESV).

In which area(s) of your life are you struggling to trust God? How does knowing that God is faithful and working out all situations for your good help you trust Him with your future?

We’d love to hear from you! Share your thoughts in the comments.

© 2024 by Sarah McClelland. All rights reserved.