Happy Sabbath friends! It is finally the Sabbath day and the weekend where we can finally rest and take a break from our busy lives. Praise the Lord for that am I right?!

I want to share the story of Job with you today, and I hope the Words of God encourage, comfort and bless you. Today we will be focusing on Job 1, and maybe…just maybe I will write another blog on another portion on Job’s story, but for now, we will focus on the beginning. Job’s story is extremely impactful, especially if you have ever been in a place where you have lost everything, or if you ever have been at the darkest place imaginable where you felt too far gone from Christ. Job’s story has always given me a sense of hope when I have ever been in a state of sadness, darkness, hopelessness, etc. I hope this story from the Word of God brings you the same hope it has brought me in my past.

“In the land of Uz there lived a man whose name was Job. This man was blameless and upright; he feared God and shunned evil. He had seven sons and three daughters, and he owned seven thousand sheep, three thousand camels, five hundred yoke of oxen and five hundred donkeys, and had a large number of servants. He was the greatest man among all the people of the East. His sons used to hold feasts in their homes on their birthdays, and they would invite their three sisters to eat and drink with them. When a period of feasting had run its course, Job would make arrangements for them to be purified. Early in the morning he would sacrifice a burnt offering for each of them, thinking, “Perhaps my children have sinned and cursed God in their hearts.” This was Job’s regular custom. One day the angels came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came with them. The Lord said to Satan, “Where have you come from?” Satan answered the Lord, “From roaming throughout the earth, going back and forth on it.” Then the Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil.” “Does Job fear God for nothing?” Satan replied. “Have you not put a hedge around him and his household and everything he has? You have blessed the work of his hands, so that his flocks and herds are spread throughout the land. But now stretch out your hand and strike everything he has, and he will surely curse you to your face.” The Lord said to Satan, “Very well, then, everything he has is in your power, but on the man himself do not lay a finger.” Then Satan went out from the presence of the Lord. One day when Job’s sons and daughters were feasting and drinking wine at the oldest brother’s house, a messenger came to Job and said, “The oxen were plowing and the donkeys were grazing nearby, and the Sabeans attacked and made off with them. They put the servants to the sword, and I am the only one who has escaped to tell you!” While he was still speaking, another messenger came and said, “The fire of God fell from the heavens and burned up the sheep and the servants, and I am the only one who has escaped to tell you!” While he was still speaking, another messenger came and said, “The Chaldeans formed three raiding parties and swept down on your camels and made off with them. They put the servants to the sword, and I am the only one who has escaped to tell you!” While he was still speaking, yet another messenger came and said, “Your sons and daughters were feasting and drinking wine at the oldest brother’s house, when suddenly a mighty wind swept in from the desert and struck the four corners of the house. It collapsed on them and they are dead, and I am the only one who has escaped to tell you!” At this, Job got up and tore his robe and shaved his head. Then he fell to the ground in worship and 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.” In all this, Job did not sin by charging God with wrongdoing.”
‭‭Job‬ ‭1‬:‭1‬-‭22‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Chapter one starts off by introducing who Job is and the strong foundation he had in the Lord. It also explains how blessed Job is:

“He had seven sons and three daughters, and he owned seven thousand sheep, three thousand camels, five hundred yoke of oxen and five hundred donkeys, and had a large number of servants. He was the greatest man among all the people of the East.”
‭‭Job‬ ‭1‬:‭2‬-‭3‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Job was a successful man amongst the people, and with the Lord. What could possibly go wrong right? He has a strong relationship with the Lord, and he is the greatest man among all the people of the East. It can’t get any better than that! Until…satan happened.

Sometimes people may think that when we have such a strong relationship with Christ, that we are untouchable to satan, but that is far from the truth. The closer we get to Jesus, the angrier the devil gets. That’s not what he wants. The devil wants us as far away from God as possible, but Job, was as close as he could be with God. Satan did not like that.

“One day the angels came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came with them. The Lord said to Satan, “Where have you come from?” Satan answered the Lord, “From roaming throughout the earth, going back and forth on it.” Then the Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil.” “Does Job fear God for nothing?” Satan replied. “Have you not put a hedge around him and his household and everything he has? You have blessed the work of his hands, so that his flocks and herds are spread throughout the land. But now stretch out your hand and strike everything he has, and he will surely curse you to your face.” The Lord said to Satan, “Very well, then, everything he has is in your power, but on the man himself do not lay a finger.” Then Satan went out from the presence of the Lord.”
‭‭Job‬ ‭1‬:‭6‬-‭12‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Satan saw an opportunity to laugh in God’s face thinking that if everything was taken away from Job, that he would fall away. Something that stands out to me though is that God does not doubt Job. He has full confidence in the faith that Job has that He won’t lose Job as His fellow servant. Job’s faith in God was in such a firm foundation, that even God did not doubt him. The story opens my eyes even more as it reads:

“One day when Job’s sons and daughters were feasting and drinking wine at the oldest brother’s house, a messenger came to Job and said, “The oxen were plowing and the donkeys were grazing nearby, and the Sabeans attacked and made off with them. They put the servants to the sword, and I am the only one who has escaped to tell you!” While he was still speaking, another messenger came and said, “The fire of God fell from the heavens and burned up the sheep and the servants, and I am the only one who has escaped to tell you!” While he was still speaking, another messenger came and said, “The Chaldeans formed three raiding parties and swept down on your camels and made off with them. They put the servants to the sword, and I am the only one who has escaped to tell you!” While he was still speaking, yet another messenger came and said, “Your sons and daughters were feasting and drinking wine at the oldest brother’s house, when suddenly a mighty wind swept in from the desert and struck the four corners of the house. It collapsed on them and they are dead, and I am the only one who has escaped to tell you!””
‭‭Job‬ ‭1‬:‭13‬-‭19‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Take a moment and imagine losing everything of value in your life in one fell swoop…how would that make you feel? In full honesty, I would probably break down as I would get so overwhelmed by the sudden change occurring in my life. That is just my full honesty and where my mind goes every time I read this part of Job’s story, but THIS is the most amazing part…

“At this, Job got up and tore his robe and shaved his head. Then he fell to the ground in worship and 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.” In all this, Job did not sin by charging God with wrongdoing.”
‭‭Job‬ ‭1‬:‭20‬-‭22‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Despite losing everything of value in his life, Job STILL praised and honored God. He didn’t get overwhelmed. He didn’t get angry. He didn’t blame God. He PRAISED Him! He WORSHIPPED Him!

This story is so powerful and influential to me because I feel one of the hardest things when being a follower of Christ is praising Him still even when it seems our world is falling apart. But in full honesty, isn’t that when we need Jesus the most? We shouldn’t just praise and worship God when times are good, we should praise and worship God when times are rough. When the storm is too much to handle, we should praise and worship Him, just as Job did!

I pray that whenever we go through hard times, we don’t give satan the power by letting anger and frustration consume us. Instead, I pray that we immediately fall on our knees and give it to You, Lord. I pray that even amidst the good and bad times in our lives that we run to our Heavenly Father who loves us unconditionally and will forgive us 70 x 7 times. He will carry us through always and forever. We just need to put our complete trust in Him.

“Then Peter came to Him and said, “Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Up to seven times?” Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven.”
‭‭Matthew‬ ‭18‬:‭21‬-‭22‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Just as God will forgive us, we should forgive ourselves, and others who may have wronged us.

“Even to your old age and gray hairs I am he, I am he who will sustain you. I have made you and I will carry you; I will sustain you and I will rescue you.”
‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭46‬:‭4‬ ‭NIV‬‬

“God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging. God is within her, she will not fall; God will help her at break of day. The Lord Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress.”
‭‭Psalms‬ ‭46‬:‭1‬-‭3‬, ‭5‬, ‭11‬ ‭NIV‬‬

God is with you always. May the Word of God bless you and carry you through the hard times you may be facing.

Amen.