Snakes… not the thing I fear most, but I'm pretty sure if I saw one, I'd freak out pretty good.
Spiders aren't far behind.
Catching on fire is right up there too — there's nothing about flames touching my skin that sounds like a good time.
Drowning makes the list as well, and honestly, that one surprises me a little. After spending most of my life in a pool, you'd think water would be the last thing I'm afraid of. But there's a difference between swimming and being pulled under with no way to surface — and that difference is exactly what scares me.
Snakes, spiders, catching on fire, drowning — not sure any of those are my greatest fear, but let's just say I'd prefer none of those things ever come my way.
As for my greatest fear, well, this past week when I was reading through the book of Job, I was confronted with that very question…
WHAT IS MY GREATEST FEAR?
Now, if you're not familiar with the story of Job, well, in short, Job's life was flipped upside down in a matter of moments. He lost everything he owned, but worse than losing property and possessions, Job lost his family — ten kids in all.
I was devastated after losing my dogs (RIP Meshach and Buckeye), but losing ten children… I cannot even fathom the pain and devastation.
Unbeknownst to Job, his unimaginable suffering came at the hands of Satan, who was granted permission by God to test the sincerity of Job's faith. For the purposes of this devotional thought, I will not delve into the "WHY" of God allowing such intense suffering in Job's life at the hands of His enemy, rather, as we continue in this series of devotionals I've entitled 'QUESTIONS,' I want to focus our attention on the question of fear… namely, what we fear most.
After Job has a few moments to process all that has happened, his confession led me to ponder a question that I'm not sure I've given voice to before. See the confession with me in Job 3:25—
"What I always feared has happened to me. What I dreaded has come true."
I don't know what's on your list.
Maybe it's a diagnosis.
Maybe it's the phone call you hope never comes.
Maybe it's watching a marriage you fought for fall apart anyway.
Maybe it's a prodigal child who won't come home.
To be honest, I feel like I could deal with the awfulness of betrayal or a horrific diagnosis — all sorts of painful for sure, but the thought of losing Kyla, or one of my children… wow, I don't even want to finish that sentence.
Whatever your greatest fear is, Job and his story remind us that sometimes the very thing we fear most doesn't stay a fear…
IT HAPPENS.
If it's been a minute since you've read Job's story, it's worth taking a couple hours to read it, because as you'll see, God never once tells Job that his fear was unfounded, or that faithful people like Job get a pass on suffering, even at the hands of Satan.
Quite the opposite.
Job is proof that the LORD does not always protect us from suffering.
I realize that is not the most comforting or encouraging sentence you've ever read — sorry about that! But as a reminder, suffering NEVER gets the final word.
Thirty-nine chapters AFTER Job confesses his greatest fear…
AFTER the losses…
AFTER the questions…
AFTER the friends who meant well and said all the wrong things…
And AFTER God finally speaks out of the whirlwind…
AFTER all of that, Job says something that changes everything for me, and I hope for you as well.
Job does NOT declare, "I finally understand why this happened!"
As far as we know, Job never received an explanation for his suffering. But to be honest, Job received something better. See this with me in
Job 42:5…
"I had only heard about you before, but now I have seen you with my own eyes." (Job 42:5)
Job's greatest fear becoming reality didn't destroy his faith — it relocated it.
In other words, Job moved from being a guy who had just heard stories about God to seeing God in the midst of his own story.
The gospel — the good news — inside Job's story is that God met him in the middle of his greatest fear and gave him something he had never had before… a clear, unmistakable, face-to-face picture of who God is.
I'm not sure what your greatest fear is, but if I might, I'd like to encourage you with this: whatever that fear is — like Job — name it, don't hide it.
And if, or when, that fear becomes a reality, NEVER FORGET that you will not face it alone, nor will you leave it empty-handed.
Explanations are great, but greater than an explanation is a renewed and restored vision of God.
Or to say it another way…
WHO IS GREATER THAN WHY.
Praying for all of you who are reading these words right now — especially those of you who are in the midst of your worst fear being your current reality. I’m praying that the LORD would grant you clarity of vision… that you'd see the beauty and majesty of our Heavenly Father, right in the middle of your pain.
