Meet My Friend Job

Yesterday I was asking why. Today I don't need to know why. Today I remembered a man named Job (pronounced like Jobe). This man was put to the ultimate test. Let me give you a little introduction about my friend Job.

Job is described as a man of integrity. A blameless man who was devoted to God and to doing good. One day in the Heavenly realms, The Accuser, also known as Satan, came to God and made conversation. Satan had roamed the whole earth and saw that Job was indeed blameless before God. God pointed that out to him. Satan quickly doubted Job's goodness and told God that he is only faithful to him because he is blessed. But God knew and believed in Job's righteousness. Satan asked for permission to bring hardships upon Job to test him. God granted him his request.

Satan afflicted Job with a miserable disease that gave him sores all over his body. All of his offspring were taken by death. He lost all of his prosperity. Job's wife even taunted him, "Will you curse God now?!" Everyone was waiting for Job to blame God for his sufferings. Even Job's friends told him he must have greatly sinned for God to punish him in such a way. Job could find no encouragement from those around him. But Job still didn't renounce God. He did though, ask him why. In short, God revealed to him, who is a man to question his creator. God had always had Job's best interest. Even though Job had lost everything, including his health, this was not the end of the story.

In Job's suffering, he never blamed God, instead he praised him:

“I came naked from my mother’s womb,
and I will be naked when I leave.
The LORD gave me what I had,
and the LORD has taken it away.
Praise the name of the LORD!”

To make a very long story short, Job was eventually healed and given back much more than he lost. He was given new offspring. He was given even more prosperity than he had before. Satan was put to shame. He thought Job would only be faithful to God if he was being blessed, but that was not the case.

Whether you believe these words to be true or not, they illustrate a wonderful story that any person could relate to because we have all experienced suffering. We have all been tested and have had good things ripped from our hands. The real test is, what are we going to do about it? How is our attitude going to be? Are you going to blame God for anything bad that happens to you or will you ask yourself, "What can I learn from my suffering?" Though you may not know or understand, there is purpose to all suffering. And if you are faithful and keep enduring, I am sure you will be blessed with much more than you lost.