Sometimes during my devotional time, I like to glaze over the book of Job in the Bible. Let’s be honest, who wants to read or hear about suffering? We live in a world where suffering seems all too familiar to many of us. But there are many truths and healing principles we can learn and apply to our lives by studying Job and his character.
When my oldest son was born, he spent his first week of life in the NICU fighting for his life. His oxygen levels plummeted less than 48 hours after his perfect birth and within a whirlwind of events, I found myself on my knees in a NICU triage room crying out to God to save and heal my baby boy. Life is but a vapor, and the reality of our human frailty felt overwhelming in that moment. I found myself in a state of full dependency on God, much like Job does throughout his trials.
During my son’s stay in the NICU, we saw the hand of God move mightily upon his life and heal his body in a miraculous way. I will never stop giving thanks to God for His great mercy and healing in my son’s life! Multiple tests on his heart, stomach, lungs, and blood were run, and every test began to come back clear. We left the hospital with “inconclusive results” about exactly why his oxygen dropped in the first place. While doctors were perplexed, I knew it was because God was his great defender. He had saved his life and I would spend all my days advocating for my precious boy, telling every doctor, nurse, and therapist his story—a story of the miracle-working power of Jesus.
Through this trial with my son, I learned a very important lesson: always be the advocate for my children. I learned to fight for them and defend their identity as a child of God, even in the medical world. I learned to speak the truth of God and declare that the cross of Christ alone has the final word over their precious lives.
Job knew this same principle to be true of his Heavenly Father when he declared:
“Even now my witness is in heaven; my advocate is on high” (Job 16:19).
Job knew that God was his advocate, his great defender. And even through his moments of doubt and trial, he continually praised God. He trusted God’s character and knew that He would deliver, defend, and advocate for him.
Since the days of Job, nothing about God’s character has changed. He sent His perfect son Jesus to the earth to die a horrible death, and to be resurrected with power and fullness of life in His hands. Jesus has been through everything we will ever go through, and He sympathizes with us in our weakness.
“For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin. Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need” (Hebrews 4:15-16).
Even greater than that, He left the Holy Spirit here with us as a helper and advocate for us!
“And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever—” (John 14:16).
We can rest in knowing that trials are only temporary. That suffering won’t last forever, but that God is with us. He will advocate for us, and He will be our great defender (Psalm 18). How great it is to trust in and put all our hope in Heavenly Father like this!
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