Kneel First, Stand Second

“But as for me, I know that my Redeemer lives, and he will stand upon the earth at last. And after my body has decayed, yet in my body I will see God! I will see him for myself. Yes, I will see him with my own eyes. I am overwhelmed at the thought!" (Job 19:25-27)

One of my favorite worship songs is "My Redeemer Lives" by Hillsong Worship. Some of my favorite words in those lyrics are, "My shame, He's taken away, My pain is healed in His name", as they speak volumes about how God works in our lives. Job was plagued by the loss of family, livestock, worldly possessions, and even his own health. Yet, in the moments of his greatest external and internal conflict, he stands assured his Redeemer lives and all will one day be well again in his life. He has been buffeted by everything that should have 'taken him down', but he stands! 

We might find ourselves buffeted by what life throws our way, but we can stand strong in the knowledge that nothing we 'lose' is going to 'do us in'. We have the living, breathing God of the universe within us. As children of the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, we stand in the face of adversity, buffeted, but not beaten. God's greatest desire is for us to 'see with our own eyes' his grace and goodness. He doesn't want us to just experience him through 'second-hand' religion. As the worship song continues, "You lift my burdens, I'll rise with You. I'm dancing on this mountain top, to see Your kingdom come..." This sounds a bit like Job's declaration, doesn't it?

There are going to be those moments when we feel like life is crumbling in around us and we just might not want to go on any longer but remember this - your Redeemer stands stronger than whatever is buffeting you at this moment! We may not fully understand the burdens we are bearing right now, but he knows exactly how to lift them. We may not understand why we are in such a pit of despair, but he has the power to put us on mountain tops once again. Our stance in the midst of the darkest places should be to stand, but before we stand, we may have to kneel a bit! Just sayin!