Lessons for Christians From the Trials of Job: How to Respond to Tragedies

By Michael Kotch

The purpose of this book is to show Christians that they have God-given tools to handle problems in their lives that the holiest person in the Old Testament did not have. God himself said that Job, who lived in Old Testament times, was the most blameless and upright man on earth. Severe, painful tragedies hit Job and they took away all of his most loved earthly treasures. Job endured a great trial. A purpose of a trial, for those who love the Lord, is to expose flaws and weaknesses in that person who needs to be perfected. Job lived in Old Testament times before Jesus came as our Savior. Benefits of having Jesus as a Savior include having him as our personal advocate between us and God the Father. Additionally, it was only after Jesus's death and resurrection that the Holy Spirit came to live in followers of Jesus, giving them strength, wisdom, and help. Job, and the rest of mankind, did not yet have these supernatural benefits in his day. They had to rely only on their own human abilities. Christians today have this immaculate benefit. Job did not. Job's trials exposed a weakness common to everyone who does not accept Jesus as Lord and Savior""he had to rely on his own human righteousness to get through his trial. It was insufficient for him, and he failed greatly. This book shows Christians that they have weapons at their disposal to handle problems in their lives that the most blameless and upright man in the world did not have""namely, the Son of God as his personal Savior and Advocate to God the Father, and the Holy Spirit living inside of him. We, Christians, today have these. We need to use them.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Christian Faith Publishing, Inc.
• Release date: Nov 5, 2018
• ISBN: 9781642999051

Book preview

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Lessons for Christians From the Trials of Job

How to Respond to Tragedies

Michael Kotch

ISBN 978-1-64299-904-4 (Paperback)

ISBN 978-1-64299-905-1 (Digital)

Copyright © 2018 by Michael Kotch

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods without the prior written permission of the publisher. For permission requests, solicit the publisher via the address below.

Christian Faith Publishing, Inc.

832 Park Avenue

Meadville, PA 16335

www.christianfaithpublishing.com

Printed in the United States of America

Table of Contents

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Introduction

Iam a licensed psychologist in the state of Pennsylvania. I work at an outpatient Christian counseling private practice in southeast Pennsylvania. People come in to see me for counseling for a truly wide range of problems and issues. Many of my clients are Christians. They come to my practice seeking Bible-based counseling. Some of these Christians know the Word of God well, have a very strong faith, and they put it into practice in their daily lives. Some of the Christian counseling clients state they are Christian but they do not regularly read the Bible and do not have a very strong faith. Thus, they don’t implement their knowledge of God and use their faith much in their daily lives. Some of my clients are not Christian at all. They come to our practice because it is local, it is on their insurance provider list, or because it was highly recommended by a friend. I have been working at this practice since 2006, and I worked at two other Christian counseling practices prior to this. I have also worked at many non-Christian secular counseling agencies between 1993–2003. Throughout my twenty-five plus years of counseling, I have worked with thousands of people providing counseling for them for problems in their lives. I have found that there is a clear and profound difference in how Christians who know the Word of God and implement it in their lives, and people who do not, are able to cope with their problems.

Christian clients who know and implement the Word of God in their lives clearly do better in handling their problems in my sessions than people who do not. I can see the Holy Spirit in them, supporting them in their lives as they are going through their problems. They draw from the Bible and use it to manage their problems. They not only use what God says in the Bible, but they also utilize the Holy Spirit in them to guide them through their particular issues. Some of these problems are very big, such as the suicide of a child. Some are smaller but still painful for them. Yet despite their suffering, they are stable, they have an understanding of All things work for good for those who love the Lord, they have clear directions from the Bible on what they are supposed to do, and they have hope. People who do not implement the Word of God and faith in their daily lives are often in a panic during counseling. They don’t know what to do, they don’t know how to respond, they are like a ship completely adrift, and they often do not have hope. I know from personal experience thousands of times over in working with my clients (and my personal life): God will carry people through their problems when they are too weak to carry themselves if they know him and turn to him. Those who don’t know or turn to God in their problems: they are left to try to handle it on their own. They often cannot do this effectively.

This book looks at Job—a person who God himself said was the most upright and righteous person in the world in his time. Job was hit with severe trials. He did not yet have the tools to cope with his problems that faithful Christians have today. He lived in the Old Testament times. Jesus did not yet come to be our Savior, Advocate, and Mediator for man with God. The Holy Spirit did not yet come to live in those who believe in and follow Jesus. The Bible is clear that the Holy Spirit did not begin to come and live inside of people who followed God to guide and strengthen them until after Jesus rose from the dead and ascended back in to heaven. Here is