I have been thinking about how God works in my life in the various seen and unseen ways. What made me consider this is that my Sunday School class just finished studying the Bible book of Job. Immediately upon the conclusion of that learning, my Bible Study group, which is unaffiliated with our church, began a nine-week course on Job.

This week I received a letter from a friend who has been suffering from a debilitating illness, and he mentioned that he recently read Job with new eyes and said he had received new insight. In the meantime, my daily devotional reading in my chronological Bible hit upon the story of Job just as we were concluding our study in Sunday School.

Now, I have been taught that, when reading scripture, if God says something more than once, He’s making a point to get that information set into our hearts and minds. That set me wondering if all this studying of Job’s suffering and his unfailing love for the Lord is solidifying in my life a deeper knowledge and wisdom that I will soon be needing. I imagine that Job, as most of us, would never have asked to suffer as he did, but the final result was that his soul and heart benefited because of his now enlightened understanding of the God he already loved and cherished.

I agree that usually I would not volunteer for suffering as a way of learning, but I have found that this is the way I learn best to follow my Lord, resulting in a deeper love and a desire to cling to His feet as Mary did at the tomb. Through various trials in life, I now fully understand that I never want to be separated from my Savior for even the briefest moment. He is the one who rules every fiber of my being so I can sing the words, “I shall not fear the battle if Thou art by my side, nor wander from the pathway if Thou wilt be my Guide.”

Am I ready for battle? I am prayed up, I have a strong group of prayer warriors surrounding me, my heart and mind are full of the words of God in His scriptures, and I trust Jesus as my Lord and Savior. Do I need anything more? I cannot think of a single thing more needed than faith. I am ready in the strength of Jesus alone, agreeing with the Apostle Paul, “I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength.”

Surviving the battle isn’t the true test of my faith because sometimes the faithful die in battle, but then I really will have won the fight, won’t I? I would be freed from my earthly body and released to be with the Lord. It would be impossible to consider that a negative result, as I will be joining the great cloud of witnesses bearing the Name above all Names.

This great cloud of witnesses we are told is watching over us and encouraging us by the example of their own walks with the Lord. I am sure that Job is one of those witnesses who, having been blameless before the Lord and fighting the good fight, survived to win the race and receive the crown. Most likely this is why an entire Bible book is dedicated to his suffering, struggle to understand, and highlighting an even greater love for the Lord after his loss than he had before.

I am no Job, but I know so much more than Job did, because he lived before Moses’ time. I get to know “that my Redeemer lives,” by His actions within my heart and soul. Job only knew his Redeemer by faith, as do I, but Job’s Redeemer now has a name — Jesus.

Probably always expecting the battle is the right way for me to live my life. Continuously being prayed up and surrounded by wonderful, faithful people that will seek the Lord’s good will for me. Keeping my mind on Jesus through daily reading His word and speaking to others about Jesus keeps me sharp in my knowledge of His will. And, if the battle does not come it is all the better because now I am free to lift up others who are in the battle, such as my friend with the debilitating illness, by never ceasing in prayer for them.

I noticed a sign this week at one of the local churches that said, “Jesus made it simple, not easy.”

The way to peace and joy in this life is following Jesus — it is that simple. That said, life is not always easy just because we believe. Jesus gave His disciples an instruction to count the cost.

Amy Patsch writes from Ocean City. Email her at writerGoodGod@gmail.com.