Job 1-4

May 30

Job 1-4

Sometimes we wonder why bad things happen to good people. Job gives us a glimpse of the heavenly court. The accuser, the Satan, came before the Lord. God asked Satan; “where have you come from.” Satan said he had been roaming the earth. God said;  “Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil.”" (Job 1:8, NIV)  Would God say that about you? Job must have been a great guy. Even God said he was blameless and upright and feared God and shunned evil. But Satan told God no wonder he obeys God, God blessed him. Satan tells God that Job just wants God’s blessings and if he was not blessed he would not serve God.

God told Satan he could take everything Job had to test him and see if he only served God for what he could get from God. Sure enough Satan wiped out everything Job had, his wealth, his livestock, worse of all, his children. But Satan did not touch Job’s body. Job replied; “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I will depart. The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised.” In all this, Job did not sin by charging God with wrongdoing." (Job 1:21-22, NIV) 

Satan came back before God and God once again drew attention to Job. Satan said that Job would curse God if God allowed Satan to touch his body. God agreed to allow Satan to try Job again and this time he could affect his body but could not take his life. He even turned Job’s wife against him. She told him;  “Are you still holding on to your integrity? Curse God and die!”" (Job 2:9, NIV)

Just because we do what we are supposed to do, Just because we are followers of Jesus, just because God has blessed us in the past does not mean we will not face trials in life. God does not promise that we will not have challenges. We do not understand why, but God allows Satan to test us, I don’t believe it is to see if we will make it through the trial, but to prove our strength in the midst of trials to ourselves and the Satan.

When the tough times come, when everything seems to be falling apart around us, when we feel like we are in it all alone, everyone seems to have abandoned us, even those we are closest to, we can remember that God is with us and is looking out for us. God is setting limits on what can be done to us. Some of the challenges may seem unbearable, but God will bring us through. He may not take us around the trials, but He will bring us through. Remember Satan may be able to take everything else away from us, but he cannot take away God’s love and salvation.