God may be proud of you!

I have come to the understanding of God the more in any situation or circumstance you may find yourself that; GOD MAY BE PROUD OF YOU.

I know you are surprise! How would God be proud of me when am going through a situation that's not my making? The following was a question posed to me through my twitter account: Got anything on losing faith bc of trauma imposed on a person for no godly reason?

My answer was yes, I do. Your trauma is not to make you lose faith but, may be that "God is proud of you" before Satan and his kingdom of darkness.

One thing most of us tend to forget in time of our trauma is that we tend to look for a way to justify ourselves without asking "what is it that God wanted to achieve through what I am going through?" Let's briefly take a journey through the life of Job to understand it better.

In Job 1 vs. 1 to 12 as thus: "In the land of Uz there lived a man whose name was Job. This man was blameless and upright; he feared God and shunned evil. 2 He had seven sons and three daughters, 3 and he owned seven thousand sheep, three thousand camels, five hundred yoke of oxen and five hundred donkeys, and had a large number of servants. He was the greatest man among all the people of the East. 4 His sons used to hold feasts in their homes on their birthdays, and they would invite their three sisters to eat and drink with them. 5 When a period of feasting had run its course, Job would make arrangements for them to be purified. Early in the morning he would sacrifice a burnt offering for each of them, thinking, “Perhaps my children have sinned and cursed God in their hearts.” This was Job’s regular custom. 6 One day the angels came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came with them. 7 The Lord said to Satan, “Where have you come from?” Satan answered the Lord, “From roaming throughout the earth, going back and forth on it.” 8 Then the Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil.” 9 “Does Job fear God for nothing?” Satan replied. 10 “Have you not put a hedge around him and his household and everything he has? You have blessed the work of his hands, so that his flocks and herds are spread throughout the land. 11 But now stretch out your hand and strike everything he has, and he will surely curse you to your face.” 12 The Lord said to Satan, “Very well, then, everything he has is in your power, but on the man himself do not lay a finger.” Then Satan went out from the presence of the Lord." (NIV)

Before going further on the above passages, let me take you on a little journey that you are familiar with. As a father, having many children, when any of these children is performing brilliantly by bringing honour to you on a daily basis, how do you feel? Will you be proud or be ashamed? To be realistic, as a father, you will be proud of such child and blow his or her trumpet to the sky without minding whose horse is gouged.

God was so proud of Job, and He wanted to prove to Satan that no matter the situation that may come up against Job as a result of this, he won’t disappoint Him. Satan gave reason as to what make Job to be upright, and was of the opinion that if all those things were removed from Job, he would deny God. God had a contrary opinion about Satan’s excuse for Job’s integrity and love towards him; He gave Satan the go-ahead to test Job’s faith, loyalty, and uprightness and so on.

In Job 1 vs. 13 to 19, you’ll see the account of how Satan dealt with Job; and I don’t think your situation has reached that level yet. It was written as follow: “ One day when Job’s sons and daughters were feasting and drinking wine at the oldest brother’s house, ¹⁴ a messenger came to Job and said, “The oxen were plowing and the donkeys were grazing nearby, ¹⁵ and the Sabeans attacked and made off with them. They put the servants to the sword, and I am the only one who has escaped to tell you!” ¹⁶ While he was still speaking, another messenger came and said, “The fire of God fell from the heavens and burned up the sheep and the servants, and I am the only one who has escaped to tell you!” ¹⁷ While he was still speaking, another messenger came and said, “The Chaldeans formed three raiding parties and swept down on your camels and made off with them. They put the servants to the sword, and I am the only one who has escaped to tell you!” ¹⁸ While he was still speaking, yet another messenger came and said, “Your sons and daughters were feasting and drinking wine at the oldest brother’s house, ¹⁹ when suddenly a mighty wind swept in from the desert and struck the four corners of the house. It collapsed on them and they are dead, and I am the only one who has escaped to tell you!” (NIV)

What befell Job was more than a trauma if there’s any other adjective one can use to qualify it. What has befallen you cannot be compared to what Job had gone through. Losing everything you have worked for in life together with your lovely family in a day is more than a trauma anyone can bear. One amazing thing about Job’s faith and loyalty in God was in verse 20 to 22 of Job chapter 1 as thus: “At this, Job got up and tore his robe and shaved his head. Then he fell to the ground in worship ²¹ and said: “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I will depart. The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised.” In all this, Job did not sin by charging God with wrongdoing.”(NIV)

When Job got all the evil report, though he was highly devastated but, along the line he did one amazing thing: “he fell to the ground and worship God.” Men! That was a BIG BLOW on Satan. Going forward, at the time of meeting with God again, God asked Job what was his thought about Job in Job 2 vs. 1 to 10 as follow: “On another day the angel came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came with them to present himself before him.2 And the Lord said to Satan, “Where have you come from?” Satan answered the Lord, “From roaming throughout the earth, going back and forth on it.” ³ Then the Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil. And he still maintains his integrity, though you incited me against him to ruin him without any reason.” ⁴ “Skin for skin!” Satan replied. “A man will give all he has for his own life. ⁵ But now stretch out your hand and strike his flesh and bones, and he will surely curse you to your face.” ⁶ The Lord said to Satan, “Very well, then, he is in your hands; but you must spare his life.” ⁷ So Satan went out from the presence of the Lord and afflicted Job with painful sores from the soles of his feet to the crown of his head. ⁸ Then Job took a piece of broken pottery and scraped himself with it as he sat among the ashes. ⁹ His wife said to him, “Are you still maintaining your integrity? Curse God and die!” ¹⁰ He replied, “You are talking like a foolish^[b] woman. Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble?” In all this, Job did not sin in what he said.” (NIV)

Though it was not an easy trauma for Job to borne yet, his faith, integrity and loyalty in God was incomparable in such a trauma. Satan was so bent in destroying Job’s integrity, faith and loyalty in God; while Job was so adamant and also ready to put the devil to an everlasting shame through his trauma.

Take a deeper look and understanding into verse 4 and 5 of the above quoted passages, and you’ll see how mean Satan was to get Job failed before God; then you’ll come to understand that what you are also going through may be as a result of GOD being PROUD of YOU. The question now is “what will you do to justify God’s trust and pride in you?”

In Job 3 vs. 24 to 26, Job says, “For sighing has become my daily food; my groans pour out like water. ²⁵ What I feared has come upon me; what I dreaded has happened to me. ²⁶ I have no peace, no quietness; I have no rest, but only turmoil.” (NIV)

What majority of us who are called Christians fears most are the areas Satan is using to get at us to deny God and our loyalty to Him. Whereas, Jesus Christ had pre-warned us in John 16 vs. 20 as follow: “Very truly I tell you, you will weep and mourn while the world rejoices. You will grieve, but your grief will turn to joy.” (NIV)

Who are the one to weep, mourn, grief, and so on? You, who have decided to obey the commandments of God and testify Jesus Christ. This was written for us all in Revelation 12 v. 17 as follow: “Then the dragon was enraged at the woman and went off to wage war against the rest of her offspring—those who keep God’s commands and hold fast their testimony about Jesus.”(NIV)

So, for you to go through that trauma (if you are a true child of God), it means you must be:

·         One of the people who keep God’s commands;

·         One of the people who hold fast their testimony about Jesus; and

·         A true child, God is highly PROUD about.

If that happens, then, our Father, which art in heaven will not stop at nothing to be proud about us before Satan; the same way He did with our Lord Jesus Christ when he was on the mission to save our souls and reconcile us back to God. Read the account in Mark 15 vs. 1 to 39 while I will only lay emphasis on vs. 33 and 34 here as follow: “At noon, darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon. ³⁴ And at three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” (which means “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”)  (NIV)

Jesus crying as quoted above doesn’t mean that God didn’t see Jesus going through such a trauma nor does it mean God cannot avert it or save Jesus from going through the trauma, but because God was so proud of Jesus, He allowed Jesus to go through the trauma in order to finish the work of salvation successfully. God may be taking you to a lofty height of glory and honour; and that may be the reason for allowing you to go through such trauma, keep your integrity, faith and loyalty high in God. It is only you who have to prove God right while at the same time prove Satan wrong about your faith, loyalty and integrity during and in such situation as Job rightly said in Job 13 v. 15 thus: “Though he slay me, yet will I hope in him; I will surely defend my ways to his face.” (NIV)

Job’s above statement was a statement of truth when he came to the understanding of why he was going through such a trauma and “God was so proud of him.” Your situation may be the same, don’t lose your integrity, faith and hope; you’ll get over it as Job did and at the end GOD will be more PROUD of YOU.