We all know the story of Job. He had all that he loved taken away from him, but he still remained faithful to God. This story should be an example to us, that even if it sometimes seems as though God isn’t there, He is, and we should stay faithful to Him. And yet, whenever tragedy hits, we seem to forget that story. When our lives are going well, it’s easy to look at the story of Job and promise to always stay faithful to God. But when our lives suddenly aren’t going so well, we realize just how hard it can be to remain faithful. When we have troubles in life, God seems distant. When tragedy befalls us, we wonder why God would let something so terrible happen. Take COVID-19 for example. Everyone in an area affected by it is suffering in some way, be it financially or in another way. A few months ago, going out to eat at a restaurant was a completely normal thing to do. Shopping or getting together with friends or family was a common occurrence for many people. But now, we aren’t hardly allowed to leave our houses. It can certainly be easy to believe that God isn’t there. After all, why would He let the world fall into such disarray if He truly cared about us? However, instead of wondering why God would let such bad things happen to us, we should instead see hardship as an opportunity to strengthen our faith. We can’t know why God does what He does- but we can have faith that He will always do what’s best for us. Job had to endure worse trials and sufferings than many of us will hopefully ever have to go through, and yet, through all of it, he remained faithful. No matter how hard our lives may be, or how hopeless it all seems, there is always a light at the end of the tunnel. Job lost everything, but in the end, he received it all back sevenfold. Times are tough right now, there’s no doubt about it. But if we put our trust in Jesus, we will see that, even if life is difficult for a time, there is always hope in the Lord. God knows what’s best for us, and we can trust that He will always carry that out.
Marie Birkmann – 9th Grade