JOB: The patient upright man in the Book of Job whose trust in God could not be shaken. Job was a prosperous farmer living in the land of Uz. He had thousands of sheep, camels, and other livestock, and a large family, and many servants. Suddenly, Satan, the accuser, came before God claiming that Job was only trusting God because he was wealthy and everything was going well for him. So the testing of Jobs faith began. His wealth suddenly was lost, his children killed and Satan claimed that Jobs piety was superficial, and that Job would forsake God as soon as any set back hit him. So next Satan attacked Job physically, covering him with painful sores. Jobs wife told him to curse God and die, but Job suffered in silence refusing to listen to his wifes advice. His friends, Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar, reflecting the popular viewpoint that all suffering was caused by sin, called upon Job to confess whatever monstrous deeds he had done to bring on such misery. Job maintained his innocence. Unable to convince Job of his sin, the three men fell silent. At this point, another voice, the young Elihu, entered the debate. Although his argument also failed to convince Job it prepared the way for God to speak. Finally, God spoke out of a might storm. Confronted with the great power and majesty of God, Job fell in humble reverence before God and he was speechless. God rebuked Jobs friends and the drama ended with Job restored to happiness and wealth. Our age of instant everything has caused us to lose the ability to wait. We expect to learn patience instantly, and in our hurry, we miss the contradiction. Of all that we want now, relief from pain is at the top of our list. We want instant cure for everything from toothaches to heartbreaks. Although some pains have been cured, we still live in a world where many people suffer. Job was not expecting instant answers for the intense emotional and physical pain he endured. In the end what broke Jobs patience was not the suffering, but not knowing why he suffered. Often we suffer consequences for bad decisions and action. Jobs willingness to repent and confess known wrongs is a good guideline for us. Sometimes suffering shapes us for special service to others. Sometimes suffering is an attack by Satan on our lives. And sometimes we dont know why we suffer. At those times, are we willing to trust in God in spite of unanswered questions? Read Jobs story in the book of Job.
Posted on: Sat, 30 Nov 2013 15:18:53 +0000
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