Men of God Spotlight :: Job

His Story

"Then the Lord said to Satan, 'Have you considered my servant Job?'"
Job 1:8

Do you fear God for nothing? Do I? This was the question that Satan baited God with when asking about Job. Believing Job was specially protected by God, Satan tested Job’s faithfulness â€" with God’s confident permission â€" in a story that continues to inspire many more than 2,500 years later.

In the account of Job, God allows Satan to have free reign with all of Job's worldly possessions. In doing so, Satan believed that he could turn Job's heart away from God. In one day, Satan wiped out everything Job possessed: his oxen and camels; his sheep; and most devastating and heartbreaking of all, his beloved children. Shocking as it all of that was, the most unbelievable thing was Job's righteous response. In the face of disaster, Job said, "Naked I came from my mother's womb and naked I will depart. The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised.�

Isn't that inspiring? I am convicted every time I read these words. Ever wonder how you’d respond if all you possessed was taken away? In the movie “Trading Places,� Winthorp Lewis, portrayed by Dan Akroyd, is a wealthy up and coming stock broker. When his sly bosses make a wager that Winthorp can be corrupted if his privilege and dignity are stripped of him, the movie takes an interesting twist. Winthorp is indeed corrupted, beginning with his self-pity, denial, and attitude that all he possessed, he deserved.

Unlike Winthorp, Job lived in God’s shadow. He found resolve in the face of his suffering because he knew he didn’t deserve anything. He accepted the provisions of God happily without complaint and when stripped of it, his faith was unshakable. Is that our faith? How often have we “Winthorped� in our faith when our cars break down, we don't get the raise we want, or things don't go our way. We curse God with doubt when our beliefs are questioned by non-Christians. Satan has guaranteed God that we will curse him. As C.S. Lewis marvelously illustrated in the “Screwtape Letters,� the fledgling demon learns that it is not “if� the man sins, but “when.� Will our actions validate his claim?

Satan roamed the earth yet again after unsuccessfully winning the loyalty of Job. In chapter two, God confronts Satan a second time: "Have you considered my servant Job ... he still maintains his integrity." Satan snapped back, "Skin for Skin Satan believed that if was permitted to strike the flesh of Job, Job would fold. Confident in his servant, God agreed and Satan layered Job's skin with sores. Unwavering, Job held on though he hurt, He held on to God in spite of his foolish talking wife who urged him to curse God and die.

Most people are perplexed by death and illness. It is the one area that I believe people question “where is God?� most. I also believe that there are two ways to view these events: 1) in defeat, ala “why is God doing this?� or 2) in praise, ala “The events in my life are designed to teach me a lesson about God’s sovereignty and faithfulness and will make me stronger.� As hard as the latter is, this is why Job is so commended. He looked inwardly considering himself the offender and not outwardly in blaming God. Now I will say, that by chapter 38, Job has lost some of his edge, but when he does, who is there to correct him and inspire him to continued faith? Is it not God himself speaking through the storm? When the challenges of life seem insurmountable, instead of running from the storm, look for God in the midst of the storm.
What can we learn:

A preacher friend of mine told me in teaching about Job that the moral is that God loves to boast about his children. When we examine the life of Job, we see that he did nothing to provoke his suffering, yet we are taught that trials are reserved for the worthy, the faithful in Christ. Go allows us to be shaken up in order to brag about us in the presence of Satan; to put His power on display before the unbelieving world.

I can recall many times during my youth that my grandfather proudly boasted about my achievements to others, it earned him praise. God works similarly. He loves the glory he receives and the praise he gets when his children faithfully overcome challenges they face.

In the end, we can be fully assured that when the challenges mount, the boasting has begun. And when the boasting has begun the blessings aren't far behind.

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