When Shattered Plans Break our Heart

"My spirit is broken,
my days are cut short,
the grave awaits me.....

"My days have passed, my plans are shattered,
and so are the desires of my heart." Job 17:1,17

I can only imagine the plans Job had for his life. It seemed like he was making really good headways on them, too. He had a nice house, a wife, lots of kids, lots of livestock and servants. He was well respected in the community. He really had everything going for him.

.....and then God gave Satan permission to test him - to touch his life.

That is such a difficult concept for me to wrap my mind around sometimes. What about you?

Have you ever stopped to really think, when you are going through trials, that God had to give permission for the enemy to interfere in your life? Do you wonder why on earth He would ever give that permission?

What a huge concept.

Job lost everything, and through it all He honored the Lord. He was broken. He was devastated. In fact, he expressed sorrow that he'd ever been born. But God used that time to grow Job in ways I'm sure he never even knew needed to grow. He used Job to write a book that would bring comfort and wisdom to generation after generation of hurting people.

Is your spirit broken right now? Have shattered plans tried to take away even the desires of your heart? Again....God is extending a personal invitation to you to go deeper with Him. He wants to teach you things about Himself - and things about yourself that you never even realized you were missing. He wants to build a ministry to others through your pain. Are you willing?

Remember! We can "(be) confident of this, that he who began a good work in (us) will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus." Philippians 1:6.

Praise God!

"The LORD blessed the latter part of Job's life more than the first.....After this, Job lived a hundred and forty years; he saw his children and their children to the fourth generation. And so he died, old and full of years." Job 42:12a, 16-17

Don't give up too soon. God always finishes what He starts.