Job 1:1-3, 8-12, 20-22; 2:7-10
Related Sunday School Lesson, Family Bible Series, Nov. 6

 

I learned very early in my childhood that life is full of disappointment. I was never allowed to get all the toys I wanted when my mom took me to the mall. I didn’t win the big football game when the team was counting on me.

I struck out instead of knocking in the game-winning run. As I grew older and life’s disappointments grew more serious, I came to understand that no matter how great the disappointment and no matter how big my despair, my God was always greater and His love was always bigger.

Sometimes it seems that our desires and God’s plans clash. When problems come, some wrongly think that either God is not strong enough to handle them or He doesn’t care enough to solve them.

In fact, some atheists cite human suffering to justify their atheism. Some professing Christians who have experienced personal tragedy will abandon God altogether. But God wants His people to maintain their trust in Him, even when life caves in.

While the Book of Job certainly poses the question of why good people suffer, its purpose is not to answer that question. One primary purpose of the book is to answer the question posed in 1:9, “Does Job fear God for nothing?”

This forces all of us to think about how we respond when suffering and loss seem to overwhelm us.

 

Acknowledge Earth’s Limited Perspective (Job 1:1-3)

The Book of Job is based on the experiences of a man named Job from the land of Uz. Listen to the description of this man in 1:1 from the NASB, “that man was blameless, upright, fearing God and turning away from evil.” Of course, we know that Job wasn’t sinless, but the Bible describes him as a righteous man. It says he was “blameless” or that he had integrity. He was “upright” which gives the idea of being “straight,” which indicates that Job’s actions were in line with God’s ways.

From an earthly perspective Job seemed to have it all. He had a strong relationship with God (verse 1), a loving family (verse 2), material possessions (verse 3), and many servants (verse 3). Job had everything a human being could want.

People of Job’s day considered him to be a great man because what they observed about his character and wealth. But our earthly perspective is always limited. So our perceptions of other people’s character and faith in God often may be superficial. And, our perception of our own character and faith may be superficial as well.

 

Honor Heaven’s Perspective (Job 1:8)

Sure, many people have heard about Job and his trials. But not many understand that those trials were all about God and what He was trying to accomplish. Our limited earthly perspective will never allow us to view life from God’s standpoint.

For a moment, God pulls the curtain back and allows us a glimpse beyond our limited understanding. Satan stands before God to “present [himself] before the Lord.” Verse 7 says that Satan has been “roaming about on the earth and walking around on it.”

This description is echoed in 1 Peter 5:8, “... The devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.”

There’s an epic battle behind the scenes that transcends human comprehension. It’s the battle of the ages; a battle between right and wrong, between good and evil. We might be able to see what happens in the world, but we will never fully know why things happen until we are granted that knowledge by God in Heaven.

 

Anticipate Faith’s Challenge (Job 1:9-12)

Here, Satan challenges God’s assessment of Job, “Does Job fear God for nothing?” Satan is the accuser of God’s people. His accusation against Job was really an attack on God’s character.

In other words, “Does Job worship You because of what he has or because of Who You are?”

This verse clearly shows that all of Job’s later suffering was in no way God’s punishment of Job’s sin. Rather, Job’s suffering brings growth to him personally, and honor to God’s name.

If Job had it all, he lost it all. Job 1:13-19 describes the loss of his servants, his livestock, his house and his children. In a span of seven verses Job’s life was completely turned upside down. This loss posed an incredible challenge to Job’s faith.

Anyone can trust God when things are going well, but it’s much more difficult to trust God when your world crashes in upon you. Through his attacks, Satan challenged the authenticity of Job’s faith.

Terrible adversity can challenge our faith as well. But James says in the New Testament that the “testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.”

 

Trust God Always (Job 1:20-22; 2:7-10)

“Trust God always.” That’s very easy to say, but very hard to do. Trust God when your spouse passes away. Trust God when your home is destroyed. Trust God when the doctor says it’s cancer.

Our trust in God is not based upon our situation or circumstance, but upon His character and worthiness.

Job’s life had been ravaged by the destructive actions of Satan. He lost his wealth, his children and even his health.

I wonder how I would respond if I found myself in such a situation. How did Job respond? The Bible says he “worshiped.” He said, “The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away. Blessed be the name of the Lord.”

Amazing! Job understood that though his circumstances had changed, his God had not. He maintained his faith in God in spite of the adversity he faced.

“Through all this Job did not sin nor did he blame God.”

Trusting God in the face of devastating circumstances reveals the authenticity of our faith in God.