In the scriptures, according to the book of Job, we learn that despite the fact God allowed Satan to afflict Job, limits were set. Limits that not even the devil could not get past. Right from the start we know about these limits to Job’s trial and tribulations, and we know what those limits are. God allowed Job to be tested in his health and wealth, but never did God intend for the devil to take the life of Job.
Today, we have quite an advantage over Job. At the time he was going through his troubles, Job did not know about the conversation God and Satan had. He did not know about the limits God had pre-imposed upon his trial.
Since we now know the story, it is a good thing for us to take a moment to evaluate the possibilities. When we find ourselves going through great hardships, stay focused and bear in mind there could possibly have been a similar “behind-the-scenes” conversation regarding us. God has established the limits of our trials, but we just don’t know those limits! Here is when our trust in God must kick in!
What we go through is not generally unplanned. The devil does not “sneak up” while God’s back is turned. God is involved every step of the way, and in every test we experience. His limits have been set, and not even Satan can go any further, it is literally impossible. What great protection! All we need to do is continue to believe.
Like Job, even when his wife said to him, “You ought to curse God and die,” Job replied, “All the days of my appointed time, will I wait til my change comes.”
Neither the duration nor the intensity of the trial is completely open-ended. Ultimately, God is in charge; remember the verse in The Lord’s prayer, where it says, “Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven!”
This weekend, I got caught up watching the TV show, “Iyanla: Fix My Life,” and saw an excellent example of the impact of extreme trials and tribulations can have on us. The 10 women in the show had all experienced extreme trauma at the hands of their fathers, from incest to disownment and all types of horrors. I cried as I watched women who had been labeled “angry black women.” They didn’t even understand what had happened to them had, in fact, caused them to become the angry women they were!
Iyanla was making a point about how black women who have been hurt can get rid of the anger; plus, she wanted to make a point about why this anger was the main reason many black men date white women. Three black men questioned on the show said they avoided dating black women because of their “strong” personalities and that they didn’t always “stay in a woman’s place.”
Speaking with Iyanla, all three men talked about how these preferences were formed. One said he learned from his mother to avoid “angry” women. Another says his artistry and music have caused black women in his family and neighborhood to think that he’s “weird.” The third said his “God-fearing” ways have been a turnoff for black women he’s come across.
In the end, each of the women understood why they were so angry. Each realized it had been because of the many trials and tribulations they had experienced in their lives. They understood how to become the women they were born to be!
Lyndia Grant is a radio talk show host on WYCB (1340 AM), Fridays at 6 p.m. Visit her website at www.lyndiagrant.com. Contact her at 202-558-2107 or lyndiagrant@gmail.com.