Nothing about Job’s problems even hinted that God was pleased with him. Nothing about the intensity of Job’s problems matched the glowing remarks made by God to satan. If anything, from the problems, it appeared as if God was punishing Job. But for what? There was no immediate answer. Minus the benefit of knowing Job’s end, we could also draw negative reasons for Job’s fierce losses.
It seemed that, for all the good Job had done, he appeared to be reaping from some bad seed sown. Job’s situation is a prime example of our thoughts being incredibly different from God’s. I’d certainly think that God’s reward for Job’s righteousness would be a gold pass from dreadful loss. But God allowed the enemy to put Job through the wringer! It was as if everything was being squeezed out of Job. Yet, even in that, as harsh as the trials were, it was God’s idea! He knew what was inside of Job. Job wasn’t serving God because of the wall of protection.
Why are we serving the Lord? For the nice house, new car, fabulous lifestyle, high-honor roll students, heavily padded bank accounts, rubbing shoulders with the who’s-who of who knows what? There’s nothing wrong with these, but Job’s life details what it means to serve the Lord with and without.
If God hadn’t mentioned Job’s name to satan, he wouldn’t have had such horrific trials. If Job hadn’t been living right, God wouldn’t have mentioned his name to satan. There wouldn’t have been a need for satan to consider him.
It’s great to read about Job. We have the beauty of knowing the end, reading ahead, and telling ourselves when we start in Chapter 1 that Chapter 42 is coming. We don’t live in the daily pains of Job’s living with intense sickness, a wife sick of seeing her husband suffer and suggesting that isn’t it time to give up on God, curse Him, and die. Friends who couldn’t relate to Job’s woes. He could no longer pray for the children he loved so dearly as they had died. He and his wife bore the unimaginable grief of losing 10 children on top of the loss of income and servants. It seems to be the recipe for absolute destruction, but in all of this (which God knew was coming) God still pointed Job out to satan.
Job was God’s servant in the good and in the bad. We, too have seasons when we’re tried beyond our own comprehension. Maybe it’s because of what the Lord said about you to satan. “satan, have you considered ___________?”
And the Lord said unto satan, hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil? (Job 1:8 KJV)
In the Master’s Service,
Author/Pastor Michele D Robertson
28 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.
Matthew 11:28-29 (KJV)