Job 11:16
You will surely forget your trouble, recalling it only as waters gone by. NIV
As I work my way through these last few weeks of my project, I’ve begun a word search on “hope.” It strikes me that “hope” is an antonym for worry, and that therefore I might find several reminders this way. This morning, a phrase on the listings of the word “hope” caught my eye and brought me back here to Job 11, where I’ve been before.
The verses just preceding this one are ones that I looked at back in June of last year. They read in part, “Yet if you devote your heart to him … you will stand firm without fear.”
It is interesting to me that I stopped at that point in exploring this rich chapter. Today’s reminder is a truth that I likely would not have recognized at the time.
You will surely forget your trouble, recalling it only as waters gone by.
My life, like everyone else’s, has had its share of disruptions. In the thick of a trial, I’ve often been nearly derailed by my circumstances and my propensity to worry over them. My troubles have seemed like flood waters threatening to carry me away. That’s where I was last February, when I began this project.
With the perspective gained by a year of time passing, with the love and support of my dear friends and my precious family, and with the knowledge and new skills I’ve gained from a year of diligently scouring God’s word for reminders not to worry, I can see the truth in this verse.
Worry is pointless and fruitless and, like the majority of our troubles here, short-lived. The vast majority of things that seem horrible at the time are merely part of the ebbs and flows of life. Having said that, some things here are truly horrible … some things forever re-route the path of the river of your life and the lives of those you love, but, life … moves on.
That is what this verse is saying to me. Don’t dwell on the past, don’t be too concerned with the events of the present, and don’t even think about the next worry that might come your way … because in time … You will surely forget your trouble, recalling it only as waters gone by.
Instead, invest your time in others, use the gifts God has given you for the good of the kingdom. Store up treasures in heaven.
That’s what I’ll think about today.
365 Days of Peace 
Thank You for your diligence in searching for the truth “not to worry”. Your posts have always encouraged me and served as a reminder to fix my eyes on Jesus Christ. To put my trust in our Lord and that I can always completely depend on Him.
Amen! Thanks so much for your support Claudette. I think you were the first person to officially follow me on this journey. I’ve appreciated your support throughout. Blessings to you today!
Your blog has been a blessing to me this year. You are a good example of using the gifts God has given you for His kingdom. Thank you!
Thanks so much for your words of encouragement. I am thankful that you’ve been blessed, as I have, by this project.
Your dilligence has been amazing and challenging.
The other thing we have noticed, if I may say, is that you have grown this year. You have spoken of very real struggles and perhaps coming through those has made a difference, but you have grown in confidence, both in your interpreting scripture and in your writing.
And that has made this journey a growing experience for those of us who have been privileged to journey with you.
I’m humbled by your words. I know you’re right. I’ve walked through the fire and have come through unburned. Sometime in the last couple of years my mom shared a story with me … I don’t think I ever wrote about it, but, I may have. She said that she read a devotional about, I think, a silversmith. To perfect a piece, he had to repeatedly heat it and polish it. The woman, who I think had written the piece asked him how he knew when it had been fired enough. His simple answer holds a world a truth. He said, “that’s easy … when I can see my reflection.” When we endure trials here, I believe fervently that God is looking for us to reflect Him … that’s my goal, it has been goal throughout this year. I’m praying that it always will be.
Separately, I can’t thank you and Jen enough for the support and encouragement you’ve provided along the way. You are a true blessing.