Reading: Job 1:18-22; 2:7-10
Job had it all.
Wealth. Health. A good name.
Children. A prosperous business. Property. And, most importantly, Job walked
with God; he was godly: “…that man was perfect and upright, and one that feared
God, and eschewed evil.” Job had been greatly blessed by God.
No doubt, Job worked hard. We
know he was an early riser. He was not a lazy bludger.
However, it is very clear that
Job had what he did because God had
given in to him. Satan said, “Hast not thou made an hedge about him, and about
his house, and about all that he hath on every side? thou hast blessed the work
of his hands, and his substance is increased in the land.” Job himself
testified to this fact; he knew Who had blessed Him. Job knew that he was
“God-made” and not “self-made.” He agreed with the testimony of David, who
said, “for all things come of thee, and of thine own have we given thee.”
Then it all came crashing down
– literally. Job lost his business,
his employees, his children, his marriage, his friends, his reputation, his
wealth, and his health. Job lost it all
– and practically overnight. No one here can imagine how Job felt. He was
devastated beyond our comprehension.
So, how did Job respond to this tragedy? Let us consider 2
statements that he made:
1. “Shall
we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil?”
2. “Naked
came I out of my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return thither: the LORD
gave, and the LORD hath taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD.”
The scripture says in Job 1:22
that, “In all this Job sinned not, nor charged God foolishly.” I wish this
could be said of me, and of you, when we go through an awful trial. I hope that
it might be said that, “In all this Mark sinned not, nor charged God foolishly.”
When troubles enlarge; when tragedy strikes; when prayers are unanswered; when
plans fail; when people hurt us; when money fails; when God is silent; in all
of these things, I hope that we might respond in the godly way that Job did. How
could Job respond in such a way? Why did Job not become bitter at God?
We can respond in a right way.
We will hurt and weep, but we don’t have to become angry, disillusioned,
resentful, and bitter.
How? The key is found in Job’s acknowledgement that God gave, and
God could take away: “the LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away; blessed be
the name of the LORD.” When we understand that we are God’s, and everything we
have comes from God, then we can condition our hearts and minds to respond
rightly when troubles come. We will be thankful for God’s blessings, and we
will trust God when those blessings are taken away.
Don’t forget, either, how God blessed Job at the end.