- Verses 1-5: We are enlightened as to who Job is. A god fearing man who is blessed abundantly.
- What struck out to me was that he would wake up in the morning to burn offerings for his kids so that even if they sinned, God would forgive them. I've always heard that parents' prayers for their children is especially heard by God because it is unselfish and solely professed with love.
- Verses 6-12: Even God sees Job as the most obedient person on Earth and proudly tells Satan about him. Satan questions Job's loyalty because of the smooth and fortunate life he has had thus far. God ALLOWED Satan to tear Job's life apart as long as he did not "lay a hand on Job himself". It is scary that God let Job be put to the test but he knows us well and has extreme faith in us. Never will he let something we cannot handle occur to us.
- Verses 13-19: The devil brought down terror and did everything he could to get Job to turn away from God. He destroyed his home, killed his animals, servants, and even children. The devil did not waste time either, the Bible emphasizes how everything occurred at the same time. When something is repeated in the Word it is important and meant to be taken into account. These verses kept reiterating, "that messenger was still speaking when yet another came and reported" before an event was spoken about. He had no recovery time from one catastrophe before the next one unfolded.
- Verses 20-22: Job's reaction to all of this mayhem was not to curse God but to WORSHIP. He said,
"Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked I will leave this life. The Lord gives and the Lord takes away. Praise the name of 'Yahweh'".
Job's only reaction was to praise God. He made sure to shave his head and be naked not in distress or insanity but to go back to the beginning, To go back to his birth when he was naked and bald because God GAVE him life and has the power to take it away.
Notes:
- One cannot be dismayed because of hardships. Life is full of them because this is our time for trial but God loved us enough to give us this amazing world to enjoy while we are tested. Everything that occurs in our life was approved by God to occur. Sometimes I wonder why he let them happen but he knows best. He may not even need a reason. God was testing Job knowing he could pass and he did. God can test us all he wants. He doesn't need rhyme or reason. The point is not to understand the whys but to understand that it is God's decision and that everything we are/have is from Him.
- Job's life was completely turned upside down. He was not expecting it nor did he "deserve" it. Job's reaction to worship God is beautiful. His faith shines as he praises God for giving him what he had. All the things we own or have from the food and clothes to the friendships we hold dear are GIVEN to us by God. He has the right to take them away. God isn't spiteful or horrendous. He has a plan and is a parent. He doesn't do anything with malicious intent. He doesn't let chaos occur because he is bored. He may allow it so we can learn and grow spiritually or He may feel we just don't need to continue as our lives are. Similar to a parent with children, our toys are gifts that can be taken but no parent will just grab away a present to cause pain.
- We are called to be like Job. Not to be childish by screaming, shouting, and throwing tantrums because something we felt was ours (but isn't) is taken from us. No matter what happens, praise and worship God because He gave you life.
In Life:
Our talents and abilities are blessings and gifts that we didn't really need to be given. He chose to give them to me so that we could use them. I need to work on remembering how blessed I am and nothing is truly mine except for my sin. I should praise and worship God instead of cursing because I didn't get my way. God will never give me something I can't handle. If you feel like you can't deal with something, that should be a red flag that your relationship with Christ needs a boost. We can overcome anything life, God, or Satan throws at us with Christ's support.
This to me is what the foundation of my relationship with Christ should be. The understanding that I am blessed, God is merciful, and nothing is mine while everything belongs to God. Having a solid foundation helps you stick to The Lord. It's important because foundations will keep something standing after a hurricane. There will always be something to go back to and start again. Every time you rebuild or learn something that will stick, you are reinforcing your home on that strong foundation.
