Help, Lord!
My Life is Like the White of an Egg
JOB 6:6
THE STORY OF JOB has been passed down through the centuries. Even folks who don’t read the Bible know about Job. You know his story, too, but let me repeat it. In Job 1:1 we meet this man whose name was job; and that man was blameless and upright, one who feared God and abstained from and shunned evil because it was wrong. He had ten children: seven sons and three daughters. A perfect family! Job was extremely prosperous–the richest man in the East.
AT A MEETING IN HEAVEN, the Lord was bragging on Job. Have you seen my servant Job? There is none like him on the earth! He is blameless, upright, fears God, and stays away from evil (1:8). Satan, who had been going to and fro seeking whom he could devour, also came to listen in on the meeting. When he heard the comments about Job, he immediately began to accuse him to the Lord, Does Job fear God for nothing? Isn’t it because You have blessed him and caused him to prosper abundantly? No! God assured satan that Job was righteous and no matter what he did to him, Job would still serve the Lord. Satan walked away from that meeting with a mission: to maim, kill, and destroy Job.
Job was a righteous man and prayed fervently for his children. They liked to party. On this particular day, Job either wasn’t invited or didn’t want to be a part of the reveling. While his children partied at the older brother’s house, a messenger came to Job’s house to tell him that the Sabeans had stolen his oxen and donkeys and killed the servants. Another messenger came to say that lightning had struck and burned up all Job’s sheep and the shepherds with them. While he was still speaking there came another with the news that the Chaldeans had stolen Job’s camels and killed their keepers. In the twinkling of an eye, Job had lost his prosperity.
The last messenger was not yet finished speaking when another messenger came to tell Job that a tornado had leveled his eldest son’s house and all of his children were dead. Job was distraught to say the least. He did what everyone in those days did when they were grieving: he tore off his robe, shaved his head, fell down on the ground. Although he didn’t understand what was happening,
JOB WORSHIPPED THE LORD! He said he didn’t have anything when he was born and he couldn’t take anything with him when he died, so he might just as well praise the Lord anyway. Blessed be the Name of the Lord! And Job did not sin by becoming bitter and blaming God (1:22).
Satan didn’t like that response at all! He smote job with ugly, painful, oozing sores from top of his head to the soles of his feet. They hurt so badly that Job sat on an ash heap to try to get some relief. He took pieces of broken pottery and scratched the infection out of the sores. Job’s wife had reached her breaking point and finally spoke out: Job, she said, You didn’t do anything wrong. In fact, you did everything right and look at you now! You had better just forget this God of yours and go ahead and die! She couldn’t imagine that any miracle would be big enough to take care of this situation. Soon the word of Job’s tragic circumstances reached his good friends, and they decided to come to console him. But when they saw Job, they were speechless. They sat for a whole week unable to talk. When they finally did say something, it was the same thing you and I usually say: “Why?”
Job ‘s name means hated, persecuted. By whom? By satan! He’s the accuser of all the brethren. Sure, Job is discouraged. Who wouldn’t be! Material possessions are gone. Family is gone. Wife and friends have turned against him. Then he says,
MY LIFE IS LIKE THE WHITE OF AN EGG ….
Is there any flavor in the white of an egg?(6.6) Did you ever try to eat just the white of an egg? When boiled, it’s flabby and rubbery. You start chewing it and if you don’t swallow it, you’ll still be chewing it hours later. You can take raw egg white and beat it full of air, but if you don’t add sugar to it, it’s not edible; and if you want it to retain any shape you have to add a pinch of cream of tartar. Is your life like that? Tasteless? Hard to swallow’? Bitter? Do you need some yellow nourishment? Some SonShine in your life? Job surely did. Job had the strength to make it through this difficult time in his life because he made a commitment:
THOUGH HE SLAY ME, YET WILL I SERVE HIM (13:15).
Yes, we know it was satan who was inflicting the tragedies on Job, but Job didn’t know that. We know the plans that God has for us are for good and not for evil (Jer. 29:11), yet, when problems come, all too often we waste precious time asking, Why? Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednigo faced the fiery furnace saying We know our God is able to deliver us, but even if He doesn’t we won’t bow down… They were committed to God because He is God–not because of temporal blessings, powerful positions, wealth, and happiness. They believed there was something better waiting for them beyond this life. Job put it this way:
I KNOW THAT MY REDEEMER LIVES and in the end He will come back. And after my skin, even this body, has been destroyed, then from my flesh, or without it I shall see God, Whom I, even I, shall see for myself.. And my eyes shall behold Him, and not as a stranger” (19:15-17). I KNOW! I know that no matter what it looks like, my Redeemer lives! I know that no matter what my situation is all around, my Redeemer lives! I KNOW! I KNOW! I.KNOW!
Paul says it this way: I KNOW in Whom I have believed and that He is able to keep that which I’ve committed unto Him…(2 Tim. 1:12). If you KNOW He is able to keep, then you’ll commit it to Him. Cast ALL your cares on Him for He cares for you! When there’s no way you can do it, it’s time to KNOW Whom you believe. .
The reason your life is like the white of an egg and is tasteless, blah, and/or you are unable to swallow what’s happening, may be simply that God is messing up YOUR plans in order to accomplish HIS purpose. Many plans are in a man’s mind, but it is the Lord’s purpose for him that will stand (Prov. 19.21). Maybe satan just knew human nature when he accused Job before God that day. As long as everything goes their way, most people will sing and praise the Lord. But let things go wrong and hardship come, they hang their harps on the willow tree and recite: “Nobody knows the trouble I’ve seen…” Not Job! He knew God is able!
GOD IS ABLE!
He is able to save to the uttermost (Heb. 7.25).
He is able to keep me from stumbling (Jude 24).
He is able to build me up and give me an inheritance (Acts 20.32).
He is able to make me stand; to hold me up (Rom. 14:4).
He is able to help them that are tempted (Heb. 2:18).
He is able to make all grace abound toward me (2 Cor. 9:8).
He is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all we ask (Eph. 3:20).
He is able to perform what He has promised (Rom. 4:21).
He is able to scramble my egg and give it some flavor! The white of the egg is only the outside–our body and external circumstances. It will decay and return to dust anyway. What you do with the yellow–the inside-will last eternally! That’s where the nourishment is. Are you saying today, ‘Help, Lord! My Life is like the white of an egg? Blah. Tasteless. Difficult to swallow?” Let this be the moment that you determine in your heart to serve Him and KNOW He is able to bring you through–but even if He doesn’t, let it be said of you that you died in faith believing… (Heb. 11:-39-40) so He can present you faultless before the Throne (Jude 24). I KNOW He is able!
© C. Yvonne Karl, The Alabaster Box, V10N9
Musings by Yvonne. Selah! 