Holidays have a way of highlighting the difficulties, pain, and losses in our individual lives and in the world at large. For each of you, including those affected by the shootings at Sandy Hook Elementary, I offer my heartfelt prayers. May you experience healing and renewed hope by knowing Jesus as your Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, and Prince of Peace.
Being a Bible study teacher and a lifetime churchgoer, I am a likely target for purveyors of Christian merchandise. So it’s not surprising that I made it to the mailing list of a Christian jewelry manufacturer. Scanning their Christmas edition several years ago, I noticed how each two-page spread focused on a particular theme such as crosses or stars. The layout included an explanation of the spiritual significance of each object. A page featuring cardinals caught my attention. I was anxious to discover what they would say about my dear red bird. Though I lost that particular page long ago, the basic message will be with me forever. It said that the cardinal is one of nature’s most beloved creatures because it sings not only in the springtime, but also in the dreary and cold months of winter.
To have a heart that sings in the bitter cold is a rare thing indeed. Therein is the cardinal’s glory. The Bible tells us that Job possessed that trait as well. Job had four catastrophic losses in close succession. Messengers came bringing reports of the destruction of his livestock, servants, house, and children. This is how he responded to the news:
Job stood up and tore his robe in grief. Then he shaved his head and fell to the ground before God. He said, “I came naked from my mother’s womb, and I will be stripped of everything when I die. The Lord gave me everything I had, and the Lord has taken it away. Praise the name of the Lord!” (Job 1:20-21 NLT)
Job acknowledged God as the source of everything he had and lost. As Lord of all, He is the One who governs what blessings are given and for how long. In the furnace of our trials, we discover how deeply we believe that God is good and just and right. Job didn’t blame God. Instead, he sought Him first when tragedy struck.
Many believers imagine that they have a bargain with God–a godly, faithful life in exchange for exemption from heartbreak. That was the case with me for the longest time. Because my earthly father shielded me from anything painful and unpleasant, I expected the same thing from my heavenly Father. It was confusing when hardship came my way. That deception was burned away in the light of God’s Word, for nowhere does it promise that God’s children will live trouble-free lives. It tells us just the opposite: “Man is born to trouble as surely as sparks fly upward.” (Job 5:7)
Job found a song when circumstances were anything but praiseworthy. He gave glory to God by pouring out a sacrifice of worship. To do this with integrity requires emptying the soul of any toxic contents. Pain has a way of forcing that stuff out into the open. It must be addressed before worship can happen. “No spring of water pours out sweet water and bitter water from the same opening.” (James 3:11 GNT) But when faced with a hard situation that we can’t change, our hearts contain both bitter and sweet.
By expressing his emotions appropriately, Job dissipated any bitterness. Certainly he experienced the anger and sadness that comes with loss. He was in so much emotional anguish that he tore his robe. That was a normal response in his culture. Today, whether we cry it out, talk it out, or write it out, God invites us to be honest about the way life’s events impact us. As we pour our hearts out like water before Him, we feel heard and more able to receive His comfort.
Job surrendered his pain to God, and so can we. By bowing low, we elevate God above all that hurts us and threatens to make us bitter people. As we sing, the cold and loneliness is replaced by the sweet presence of God. Our sacrifice of praise becomes a pleasing aroma as our fleshly desires give way to the character of Christ being formed in us.
Job chose to sing on the darkest and loneliest day of his life. And that is why I always think of Job whenever I spot a cardinal. They conquer the cold in the same way that Job prevailed over his pain. By their song, they bring glory to our God who is worthy to be praised at all times. Whenever I see my stunning red-winged friends, I view it as God’s reminder to sing my song until a new season of blessing breaks through.
I will praise the Lord at all times. I will constantly speak His praises. I will boast only in the Lord; let all who are discouraged take heart…The righteous face many troubles, but the Lord rescues them from each and every one. Psalm 34:1-2, 19 NLT