Walled In

God and His ways are mysterious. While we may do everything in our power to avoid suffering sometimes God allows it. That was certainly the case with Job. Satan afflicted Job but God allowed him to do it. God allowed Job to be tested. He also allows us to go through tests as well.

2019 has not started off well for the Edwards household. Though God blessed our family with another vehicle, a 2006 Mazda 6 for Tucker,  it has sat in the driveway un-driven for the past two weeks. Tucker went back to school in my truck until we can get his car repaired. While one of the boys drove it when they were home for Christmas break they ran over something that caused a protective plastic plate under the engine to fall and now is dragging the ground. We have been unable to get anyone to look at it so far. We cannot drive it until that issue is fixed. All the boys had problems with their cell phones at the same time. We have sent those phones in more than once for repairs and each time the phones return not repaired. Frustrating. On New Year's Day I suffered some internal bleeding in my left eye affecting my vision in it. Before that my vision had been the best I enjoyed in several years. I got the sickest I have been in years lasting nearly two weeks. The bank ran our tithe check through twice resulting in being overdrawn on several other charges and will not be able to fix it until sometime Monday or Tuesday. We have operated on just what cash we had for several days. One of my boys suffered a devastating heartbreak. One of the boys' college roommate is not coming back this semester. He only learned this yesterday just days before the new semester starts. Taylor is still trying to get accepted and get some kind of housing in place so he can work on his Mater's degree and go play football at Wayland with his brothers. All of that in just the first two weeks of 2019. We are walled in.

There is more I am not at liberty to disclose at this time. Everywhere I look I see mountains and am walled in. I am not alone. Job felt the same way. Read what he said.

Job 19:8 (ESV)
8  He has walled up my way, so that I cannot pass, and he has set darkness upon my paths.

Sometimes God walls our way. He shuts the door and avenue of escape. He leaves our way blocked and allows us to suffer. No matter how we may try, pray and labor to pass He denies us passage into easier days until His purposes are accomplished. In my case, I have felt this way for seven long years! Nobody has answers. Nobody can explain it anymore than Job's friends thought they could explain why Job suffered.

Job's friends attributed his sufferings to some secret sin. I had a person do the same thing to me three years ago. I was preaching a revival meeting. This person knew of some of our sufferings. They just could not fathom that God might wall a person in and they accused me of suffering because of some sin. I quickly reminded them of Job's situation at which they had no follow up answer.

We are quick to judge. We don't know the full details of people's suffering. True, some people suffer because of decisions they make and the resulting consequences. Some suffer because of the curse of sinful human nature from the fall. Some suffer because God allows it.

God allowing a person to suffer is beyond our comprehension. We cannot fathom why God would wall up a person's way. God walled up Joseph from freedom because He had a plan Joseph could not see. Joseph suffered but in the end Joseph recognized God's goodness in it.

God walled up the way for the Israelites at the Red Sea. They had no way of escape with the Egypt army bearing down on them and blocked by the sea. God used that situation for one of His greatest miracles in the Old Testament when he parted the Red Sea. He also used that experience to destroy the Egypt army forever to no longer torment God's children.

Paul suffered physically and was put in prison. God used his prison years to inspire Paul to write sacred scripture we treasure so much today.

We do not always know why God walls up our ways from time to time and does not allow us to pass. We have to trust Him. In the end God restored two fold all that Job lost. In the end God will prove Himself faithful. It is His nature. So if you are walled in and He will not let you pass keep trusting. If it never makes sense in this lifetime it will make sense in eternity for the true followers of Yahweh.