ODJ: loss and found
David walked up the road to the Mount of Olives, weeping as he went. His head was covered and his feet were bare as a sign of mourning (v.30).
READ: 2 Samuel 15:13-30
It’s likely that several people you know have been laid off this year. Recently I learned that another good friend had lost his job. This would be bad news for anyone, but it was especially brutal for my friend because his wife’s position had been eliminated just a month before!
King David knew what it felt like to lose his position, and it resulted in true grief and sorrow (2 Samuel 15:30)—multiplied by the fact that it was his own son Absalom who had snatched his throne (v.13). We can all identify with David in his feelings of defeat and sadness. The loss of a job produces that kind of unfortunate fruit. The king even wondered if his days of reigning over God’s people was history, as he said, “If [God] is through with me, then let Him do what seems best to Him” (v.26).
David wrote Psalm 3 when he was fleeing from Absalom. If you or someone you know has lost a job, here are three positive things David found through experiencing loss that could be helpful to you as well:
Humility—A job can become a source of our identity and even a source of pride. Loss brings us to a point of humility before God and others. We recognize that it is God alone “who holds my head high” (v.3).
Dependence—Loss drives us to a place of desperation. We truly need God and His provision. We “[cry] out to the Lord” and He answers us (v.4).
Confidence—Not in ourselves, but in God. We learn a deeper level of trust in the One who is “watching over” us (v.5) and gives us “victory” (v.8), both today and forever!
You don’t have to lose everything when your job is lost. Trust in God and His provision for today. —Tom Felten
How has your faith been affected by the poor economy and the job losses it has caused? What has God taught you through this season of struggle?
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December 23, 2009
READ: 2 Corinthians 9:6-15
He who has mercy on the poor, happy is he. —Proverbs 14:21
In her insightful book The Forgotten Man, Amity Shlaes provides fascinating stories about what life was like during the Great Depression in the US. At the center of that economic drama was “the forgotten man,” a term used for the countless individuals who were thrown out of work.
A popular Depression-era song poignantly expresses their story:
They used to tell me I was building a dream, with peace and glory ahead.
Why should I be standing in line, just waiting for bread?
Once I built a railroad, I made it run, made it race against time.
Once I built a railroad; now it’s done. Brother, can you spare a dime?
As the lyrics remind us, an economic downturn changes everything for hard-working people who lose their jobs. When that happens, we as Christians should do what we can for people in need.
In Galatians 2, Paul and Barnabas were reminded to evangelize and to “remember the poor” (v.10). We can see that Paul did just that—preaching the gospel and encouraging financial aid to those in need (Acts 11:29-30; 1 Cor. 16:1-3).
During tough economic times, we too should help people in need—spiritually and physically. A dime doesn’t go far these days, but a generous attitude does. — Dennis Fisher
Good exercise for the heart is to bend down and help another person up.
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