My Redeemer Lives - January 2011

“But as for me, I know that my Redeemer lives, and He shall stand at last on the earth.” Job 19:25

Loving God when life is well is one thing.  It is something else to love God when life is cruel like a cold winter’s day.  For many, the start of new year births hope that the coming months will spring forth God’s favor and blessings. 

The book of Job starts out with Job in a covenant relationship with God.  He was a God-fearing, praying man who loved the Lord.  He had it all.  He had possessions, a thriving business, a wonderful family, wealth and health, and a loving wife.  Through a series of events, tragedy strikes and he loses all that was important to him piece by piece like sand sifting through his hands.  His business collapses, his children die, he gets sick, and his wife turns on him. 

We’ve all been there.  Maybe not to the degree of Job, but we’ve been there.  We know what it is like to mourn, to hurt, and to have our stomach turn in knots.  Some know all too well what it is like to fall on hard times.

There is a wonderful song written many years ago by Bill Gaither called, “Because He Lives.” The chorus reads:

Because He lives I can face tomorrow
Because He lives all fear is gone
Because I know He holds the future
And life is worth the living just because He lives

This song was the context of Job 19:25.  This theme was echoing in Job’s heart when he declared, “my Redeemer lives.” Job was able to face his tomorrows because he knew Who lived.  It was his prayer life and his healthy fear of God that gave him the courage to hold on to God even in his darkest hours.  When Job lifted up God in prayer and praise, God picked up Job from the ashes of his loss. 

We are important to God.  Surely, if God cares for the sparrow, He cares for us.  The new year offers the opportunity to begin again.  It affords us the ability to press ahead with a renewed commitment to be a God chaser.

Tragedy will come to all of us at one time or another.  We have no assurances of tomorrow.  But we do have the promise of knowing that our Redeemer lives.  By prayer and praise we can declare that our Redeemer lives in the midst of any trial.