He is indeed God. Consider the works of His hand as admonished in Romans 1:19-20, starting from the human body and its coordinated functionality; to the external things described by Zophar the Naamathite in the discourse with Job in Job 11:7-12,15.

Wilt thou find out the traces of the Lord? or hast thou come to the end of that which the Almighty has made? Heaven is high; and what wilt thou do? and there are deeper things than those in hell; what dost thou know? Or longer than the measure of the earth, or the breadth of the sea. And if he should overthrow all things, who will say to him, What hast thou done? For he knows the works of transgressors; and when he sees wickedness, he will not overlook it. But man vainly buoys himself up with words; and a mortal born of woman is like an ass in the desert…For thus shall thy countenance shine again, as pure water; and thou shalt divest thyself of uncleanness, and shalt not fear. Job 11:7-12,15 LXX

Positioning verses 7-11 on one hand to verse 12, so limited is man that any attempt to explain events that happen to us is just an invitation for destructive stress.

Two brothers in the assembly, a few months apart, suffered fire outbreaks that destroyed extensively. in an extremely challenging economic environment. Where does help come from? The thought of starting again makes the heart sick, and the questions trigger stress, sometimes chronic stress.

Verse 12 describes man’s natural reaction:

1. questions,
2. anger and
3. perhaps blame for God because we assume He did not rise up to our help.

And when the bills start rolling in the stress level heightens. It may not be fire, it may be the loss of a job, the loss of a loved one after consuming finances in extended medical treatment. To stay in this mode puts us in the prison of regrets and self-pity.

“When you can’t find an outlet for pent-up frustration, you may resort to overeating, smoking, drinking, drugs, and generally abusing your body. You isolate yourself, which affects your loved ones.

Debora M. Coty writes about what she terms the ‘Three Fs: outward fussing, inward fuming, and chronic fatigue’. She jokes, ‘I knew it was time to address my stress issues when my growl grew louder than the dog’s, and my family tactfully suggested I get a rabies shot.’ However, it’s the signs you don’t see that can do the most damage. Cortisol, a hormone our bodies release in the grasp of stress, adds to out-of-control feelings of powerlessness and hopelessness. And studies verify that over time, stress raises your blood pressure, contributes to migraines and tension headaches, and results in the plaque that leads to heart disease. Chronic stress has been observed to increase cardiovascular risk by almost 50 per cent! Not to mention documented connections to alcoholism, anxiety attacks, asthma, cancer, colds, depression, flu, insomnia, obesity, strokes, and ulcers. And those uncontrolled crying spells you encounter when you’re exhausted are no coincidence.—Taken from United Christian Broadcasters

But there is the better way to overcome and thrive. Job 11:13,15 (NLT) is further expanded by Paul speaking about the challenges within himself and from other outside believers in Philippians 1:19 (MSG) – “I can hardly wait to continue on my course,” an unflinching persuasion that God remains faithful come rain, come shine! In the same Philippians 1:21-30 (MSG) by his conduct he was urging us all to:

1. Stop looking at the pain, rather look at what God is achieving through the pain
2. Firmly substitute pain with praise (Acts 16), and
3. From Job 11:13,15 (NLT) as you prepare your heart and lift up your hands in prayer note what God gives you as response to your requests, a wholeness (Philippians 4:6) when you affirm Christ as the centre of your life.

There is your inner victory to stress, chronic stress. Don’t be a casualty of HBP or stroke. Jesus never created you to be a victim, but a victor. Shalom.



Pastor Afolabi Oladele