While living on this earth for any length of time, you will have pivotal moments. We all do. Pivotal moments are those times when the storms of life come crashing around us – death, divorce, health deterioration, financial or job loss, addictions, violence. The longer you live, the more “moments” you’ll encounter. In the midst of those storms, that pivotal moment is when you must decide whether you will be “bitter or better” given your set of circumstances.
I’ve had my share of trials. Earlier in my life, I chose the “bitter” route. This is guaranteed to make everyone around you want to move as far away as possible. I was angry, nasty, and just plain vile. As I grew older, however, I began to choose the “better” route. My faith had grown to the point I knew the trials I experienced were to improve me and I trusted that God knew what He was doing.
The Bible tells us a story about Job. He endured horrendous trials, plenty of them. Pain and disease attacked his body. Emotionally he was in grief over losing his children. Financially he was ruined. His family was repulsed by him and his own wife suggested he “curse God and die”. Rather than giving encouragement and sympathy, his friends accused him of bringing the suffering on himself by secret sin. I would have thrown in the towel long before, but Job dug deep within, grit his teeth and clung to the truth of God’s faithfulness despite his horrible circumstances.
The circumstances in life may not be great: sickness, strife, disappointments, failures, but what we do with God’s Truth will either sustain us and others, or we will wither like a dead vine — “bitter or better.” Digging your heels in to His Word, placing your faith and trust into God, despite everything else, will have a pivotal effect in your faith, speech, attitude, thoughts and actions. Job knew that His Redeemer lived. He knew that it was his Redeemer who would deliver him one way or another. He knew that it was his Redeemer who would have the last word about his life. His Redeemer would be his vindicator. His Redeemer would be his advocate.
What the Redeemer did for Job can be done for you. He is faithful.
“For I know that my Redeemer liveth, and that He shall stand at the latter day upon the earth.” Job 19:25
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