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“Overcoming Tragedy: Two Men Named J..." Part 2

Two men with no common bond except a name beginning with J; now share familiar calamities. Both are enveloped in vicious storms, looking for answers and a sign of hope from God. John is heading home on a ship, disgraced and depressed because of his failed mission, heartbroken, seasick and scared out of his wits. Job after losing everything is sitting on an ash heap, scrapping his itching, boil covered skin with a broken piece of pottery. Both men will have life-changing encounters with God.

But it was the savage grip of the storm which provided the first clue for John’s life taking a noticeable turn for the better. While on deck holding desperately to anything solid, he noticed several families near the stern calmly singing hymns. John couldn’t believe it. How could they conduct worship and sing in the midst of such a terrible storm? John marveled at their faith and vowed to learn more.

Job cries out to God in the midst of his predicament and is visited by the Lord from a whirlwind. “Brace yourself because I have questions for you… Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth? Who defined the boundaries of the sea? Have you ever commanded the morning to appear? Where does the light come from? Can you hold back the movements of the stars?” (Parts of Job 38)

Instead of answering Job’s questions, God asks a few penetrating questions of his own. This seems impressive but why doesn’t God answer Job’s question? Why is he suffering so much having done nothing wrong? Yet in the midst of the conversation, Job seems to comprehend who God really is. Job says, “I know that you can do anything… and I was talking about things I did not understand, things too wonderful for me… I take back everything I said.” (42:2-3) What did Job understand about God?

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Weeks after arriving home, John continued contemplating his own mess of a life contrasted to the family contentedly singing in the midst of the storm. One night he heard someone reading a commentary on the book of Romans and began to understand what he was missing: “…since we have been made right in God’s sight by faith, we have peace with God…” As he heard the words describing God’s amazing grace, John would later write: “he felt his heart strangely warmed.”

What warmed John’s heart was the realization faith was not earned by hard work or intellectual research. Both are helpful but real faith comes from the heart and from committing to an ongoing relationship with God through Jesus Christ. We think religious satisfaction only comes from doing. John learned that real faith comes not from doing something but from being something. Wow!

If God never directly answered Job’s questions on why we suffer… why was Job now satisfied? Is it because there really are no sufficient answers to explain suffering? Maybe Job was searching for something more important than mere answers. Job was looking for a relationship with a God who would bring faith in the midst of life’s worst storms. “I heard about you before, but now I have seen you with my own eyes. I take back everything I said and I sit in dust and ashes to show my repentance.” (Job 42:5-6) Job learned real faith comes not from mere answers but from God’s presence. Wow!

John soon began preaching again but this time his passion was evident as he spoke of faith through God’s amazing grace. The local preachers feeling uncomfortable refused to invite him back but it no longer mattered for John was soon preaching throughout the countryside. In fact he began preaching so often they began to form groups or societies around the country. Other churches and leaders tried to stop the movement but the more they tried to stop him the stronger and more popular he became.

At one point, no one was more recognizable in all of England, including the King as this man John… John Wesley. In those days, he rode between sixty and seventy miles a day. He would get up at 4:00 AM, preach at five and by six he was in the saddle and on the road. He did this until he was well into his eighty’s. He delivered more than 42,000 sermons in fifty years which is an average of over fifteen sermons a week. More than preaching however, John Wesley was also an organizer. His societies eventually became the United Methodist Church which is now one of the largest Christian movements in the world today and the church I proudly serve as a pastor.

Two men with names beginning in J. Both find their true relationship with God in the midst of a storm.

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Last modified May 23, 2005.

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