One moment, Job was the owner of “seven thousand sheep, three thousand camels, five hundred yoke of oxen, five hundred female donkeys” (vs. 3); he was the master of “a very large household, so that this man was the greatest of all the peopl ...e of the East.” (vs. 3); and he was the father of ten, undoubtedly much-beloved, children: seven sons and three daughters (vs. 2).
The next moment it was all gone. The disastrous reports from surviving servants arrived almost simultaneously. One after the other, before each previous speaker was even finished, the servants delivered their devastating news.
“The oxen were plowing and the donkeys feeding beside them, when the Sabeans raided them and took them away—indeed they have killed the servants with the edge of the sword; and I alone have escaped to tell you!” (vs. 14-15)
“The fire of God fell from heaven and burned up the sheep and the servants, and consumed them; and I alone have escaped to tell you!” (vs. 16)
“The Chaldeans formed three bands, raided the camels and took them away, yes, and killed the servants with the edge of the sword; and I alone have escaped to tell you!” (vs. 17)
“Your sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother’s house, and suddenly a great wind came from across the wilderness and struck the four corners of the house, and it fell on the young people, and they are dead; and I alone have escaped to tell you!” (vs. 18-19)
But what did Job do? “Then Job arose, tore his robe, and shaved his head; and he fell to the ground and worshiped. And he said: ‘Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return there. The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD.’”
Job refused to curse God or charge Him with wrong. He refused to scream and wail and whine and complain. He refused to rail against his Creator. He grieved deeply, yes, but even in his grief, Job kept his eyes on the truth. As human beings, God’s creations, He owes us nothing. In fact, as fallen human beings, we deserve nothing from God except His wrath and eternal judgment. Even Job himself, though blameless and upright, was a sinner. We all are. We all deserve death. The fact that we are not given it – that the Lord sacrificed His own Son to redeem us – that He bears with us with much longsuffering – that He longs to make us His children and heirs of His glory – that He restrains the evil in this world (for now) so that we do see some good still – is unfathomable grace. Incredible as it may seem to us, Job had neither right nor cause to protest; the only judicious response was exactly the one he demonstrated: worship. Job fell on the ground and worshiped the Almighty God, who alone is good and worthy of praise.
How do I respond to suffering? Do I look past the pain and see the Truth walking on the midst of the storm? The Lord gave His very life for me. How shall He not freely give me all things? This life is but for a moment; eternity is forever! The sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. (Romans 8:18) My outward man may be perishing, but my inward man is being renewed day by day. The trials of believers are our “light affliction,” in this life, which are but for a moment, and are working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory. (2 Corinthians 4:16-18) Job suffered greatly. But the Lord turned his mourning into dancing; his sorrow into joy; his Valley of Baca into a spring. He used Job’s trials to bless him that much more. The God of Job is my God – the God who performs all things for me, who perfects all that concerns me, and who works all things together for good for me. I would not trade the trials He’s blessed me with for the world! They yield fruit far more precious than gold that perishes. They tap into a fountain of springing joy that cannot be taken away. Better yet, they shine the light of God into a world filled with death and despair!
2 Corinthians 4:7-11, “But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us. We are hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed—always carrying about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body. For we who live are always delivered to death for Jesus’ sake, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh.”
As a believer, I know that the heartbeat of time I spend here is the worst I’ll ever know. This life, the one in which the Lord works all things – even those intended for evil – together for good for me, is the closest I will ever come to hell. No wonder the Apostle Paul was always so full of joy! No wonder believers undergoing heartbreaking trials can lift their hands in praise! No wonder believers thrown to the wild beasts in the Roman arenas could die with a smile! No wonder martyrs who were burned at the stake could sing even as the flames soared into the sky! The joy of the Lord is our strength.
But an unbeliever? Their life in this broken, evil world is the closest they will ever come to heaven. And the worst is still to come. The Lord’s restraining hand will be removed from the earth; His Church will have vanished. He’ll have brought His bride home to hide her away from the Great Tribulation that will come upon the earth. I know where I’ll be: with my Savior in the place He has prepared for me. But what about you? Are you ready? Will you surrender to the Lord as Job did? Because the time is short! Don’t wait! Don’t waste this period of grace! Fall on the ground NOW and worship the One who is stretching out His hands to save you.
Revelation 3:10-12, “Because you have kept My command to persevere, I [Jesus] also will keep you from the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth. Behold, I am coming quickly! Hold fast what you have, that no one may take your crown. He who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God, and he shall go out no more. I will write on him the name of My God and the name of the city of My God, the New Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from My God. And I will write on him My new name.”
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