7/27/24 Word Count – 705 Reading Time – 3 minutes

The story of Job has always perplexed me. Here we have a man who seemed to do everything right from a spiritual perspective. A man who was by God’s own admission, “ …a blameless and upright man, one who fears God and shuns evil”, (Job 1:8). Job had enjoyed God’s favor and had grown wealthy under God’s care. And in spite of his great wealth Job still glorified God and accounted his good fortune to God’s grace. Yet, Job was subjected to tremendous loss and great discomfort at the hands of Satan when God removed His protection from Job.

Eventually Job was restored and rewarded for his faithfulness. But during his season of suffering, he not only lost all he had, but endured great physical torment, psychological anguish, emotional despair, public ridicule, and abandonment by his friends. Friends who should have been supporting him and comforting him.

Even though this story still makes me uncomfortable I find some valuable insights in it. For one, the story illustrates the spiritual battle that is going on between good and evil. We, as believers, are called to the fight. The fact that Job was such a righteous man and so loyal to God made him a powerful warrior for God in the confrontation taking place between God and Satan. Satan focused his most malevolent force against Job. And even though Job did not understand what was happening, nor why, he still glorified God and refused to turn his back on God even though he felt God had turned against him. Job’s faithfulness through all this unjustified torment delivered a huge victory to God against Satan and his evil. As believers we all are participants in the ongoing spiritual warfare taking place all around us. Job provides us with a sterling example of how we should conduct ourselves in battle. Even when we don’t know we are in a fight.

God restored Job to, and beyond, his previous wealth. Job was rewarded for his strength in faith. We too have been promised that our faithfulness will be rewarded beyond our sacrifices. It may not happen while we are still on earth, but God has promised that we will be rewarded. The outcome of Job’s story illustrates God’s faithfulness in His intent to compensate us for our loyalty to Him.

Another interesting aspect of Job’s story is how it is a bit of a preamble to the story of Jesus. Job was righteous and obedient to God, Job was subjected to Satan’s abuse and suffered as the result, Job was accused, convicted and tortured but innocent, Job never ceased to glorify God during his trials, Job was restored, elevated and vindicated in the end.

I’ll mention one last item that I missed during my initial few readings of Job. When I look at Job’s life before, during and after his ordeal I see that before, Job’s life was quite good. He had comfort, good health, wealth, a large, loving family, good friends, herds, possessions, and peace. It is pointed out by Satan that Job’s good fortune is the direct result of God’s hedge of protection surrounding him. It is amazing to me how quickly and completely Job’s good fortunes vanish when God removes His protection. I hasten to point out that God didn’t do anything to Job. God did not cause any of the miseries that befell Job. God merely stopped protecting Job from Satan.

It’s easy to get caught up in the drama that surrounds us. It’s easy to focus on the problems and suffering that are part and parcel to life. It’s easy to direct our prayers toward deliverance from our discomfort. But we also need to keep in mind that, for most of us, things could be worse if not for God’s protection in our lives. I think we should express our gratitude for the protections we are granted and the good things we experience through God’s care. If we enjoy a moment of peace, if we are able to experience a glance of beauty, if we are shown the smallest kindness, if we share the briefest friendship, it is because God has smiled on us. In Satan’s domain not even the faintest glimmer of good exists.