Setbacks in our lives can take the joy out of living.

Our faith is weakened, and if we collect enough hurts it will stop us from wanting to press forward.

Look at Job, a man whom the Bible calls blameless, upright, one who feared God, and turned away from evil.

Job had seven sons and three daughters, a beautiful family.

He was considered “the greatest of all the men of the east.”

Yet he lost it all in 24 hours. He lost his health, wealth, and family. He was knocked down, but not out.

He said “I will forget my complaint, I will leave off my sad countenance and be cheerful.” How could he do that after undergoing so much hurt?

We can see a clue in nature.

Along the shoreline in California, it is a common sight to see whales as they migrate from Alaska to Mexico. They often stop alongside rocks in order to scrape off barnacles that attach themselves to the whales.

One humpback whale can host almost 1,000 pounds of barnacles!

They can cause tremendous drag when the whale swims as well as cause skin irritation and infections.

In our lives, we also will pick up a collection of personal “barnacles” that will weigh us down and sap the life out of us unless we deal with them correctly.

So how did Job do it?

The same way we can do it: through faith.

Faith is the only thing that can heal the hurts we face. Job had to scrape the spiritual, emotional, and physical “barnacles” off. It was painful. The scars would remain, but his life was put back together.

Faith in God was the medicine. His wife and his friends could not do it, only God could!

The Lord blessed the latter days of Job with great blessings.

Job 42:12-13 tells us: “…he had fourteen thousand sheep, and six thousand camels, and a thousand donkeys. He had also seven sons and three daughters.”

It was said of his new daughters that “in all the land no women were found so fair.”

Job lived 140 years after the hurts and saw his sons, grandsons, great-grandsons and great-great-grandsons.

Marigold Cheshier is another person who knows about facing crises in life.

In 1982, her son, Mike, went through a traumatic experience.

Mike was only seven years old when, while playing with some friends, he was severely burned over the upper 30 percent of his body. He was burned not only on the outside, but also in his throat and lungs.

Then, in 1984, her daughter, Melissa, was beaten and left for dead by rapists at a road side park in Louisiana. The doctors said she would never be able to marry because of the psychological trauma and never bear children because of the physical trauma.

In 1985, Marigold herself was given 18 months to live because of cancer. How did they deal with all of these crises? The same way Job did, by faith.

Mike not only survived the burning but God brought him from a death sentence to a preacher and power lifter, bench pressing 450 pounds!

Melissa is now a children’s pastor, married to a wonderful husband, and the mother of twins, all due to the healing power of the Holy Spirit!
And Marigold?

God miraculously healed her of cancer!

Today, she is preaching the Gospel around the world and has completed 15 music recordings.

She has made numerous TV appearances including the 700 Club, TBN and many others.

If you are facing a crisis in your life, God can help you.

Romans 2:11 states: “God does not show favoritism.” (NIV)

You too can move past your hurts, leave off your sad countenance, and have your joy restored if you turn to God for strength.

Rev. Doug Johnson is the senior pastor at Raven Assembly of God in Raven, Virginia.