So, here we find ourselves again with a surprise pregnancy, but this time I had been taking good vitamins. However, surprise, the ultrasound shows not one, but two babies. Do I need the Lord again? Oh, yes, more than ever!
Does trust mean that God will answer every prayer in the manner in which we want? I'd have to say no because I see so many wonderful, Christian people who suffer with loss of loved ones. I know of a dear couple – he being an elder in the Lord's church – who raised 4 faithful children. The youngest happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time and took a bullet to the brain. He wasn't a soldier, just a college student caught in the middle of a shootout at a gas station.
If we look at the example of Job, we see that the righteous will suffer. Job had a life full of blessings. Was God the source of the sufferings? No, God allowed it, yes, but the being behind the calamity in Job's life was Satan.
Why does God allow Satan to do what he does? In the case of Job, God said to Satan, “Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil?” (Job 1:8) God called him 'perfect'. What wonderful praise from God! May we all strive to have our Father give us this honor!
To me, it seems as though God was teaching Satan a lesson. God said, here's my servant, and he's a great servant. But Satan said, “Aw, he's just righteous because you bless him so. If you took that away, he wouldn't be so righteous.” Satan didn't believe a word God said! So, God told Satan, “Go ahead, take away whatever you wish, but don't touch Job.” As the situation progressed, Satan eventually had to attack Job's health as well. Through it all, Job remained faithful to God.
So what is the lesson we can learn? Nothing in this world is as important as our soul. “For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?” (Mark 8:36-37) We pray that our loved ones will be obedient and we do what we can to teach them, but ultimately we can only be responsible for our own soul. So, no matter what happens around me, it is just me and my God, forever and ever and I will remain faithful to Him.