The Bible says that Job was “…blameless and upright; he feared God and shunned evil” vs. 1. Job had ten children, seven sons and three daughters. He was a very wealthy man with thousands of different animals like sheep, camels, oxen, and donkey. He had a large number of servants. At the end of verse 3 the Bible says that Job was the “greatest man among all the people of the East.”
Then we listen in on a conversation between the LORD and satan.
7 The LORD said to Satan, "Where have you come from?" Satan answered the LORD, "From roaming through the earth and going back and forth in it." 8 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." 9 "Does Job fear God for nothing?" Satan replied. 10 "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. 11 But stretch out your hand and strike everything he has, and he will surely curse you to your face." 12 The LORD said to Satan, "Very well, then, everything he has is in your hands, but on the man himself do not lay a finger." Then Satan went out from the presence of the LORD.
In one day’s time, one ordinary day, Job was faced with four servants coming to him with a message of destruction. The Bible says that before one servant finished speaking that another servant came with a message of destruction. This happened four times with the fourth message about the death of his ten children.
Have you been at this place? Where something bad happens on top of another bad thing? Perhaps your heat stopped working and then your pipe is leaking and then you get a bill in the mail and then…
Several years ago now my husband and I went through a season like this with our vehicles. We had two vehicles. My husband’s truck was being worked on for over six months at this time. So we were down to one vehicle. My car then died. Somehow we were able to purchase a used van. We only had it a couple of weeks before it died – on the way back from a family reunion. I can remember sitting in the van crying while it poured rain outside. My husband and his father were looking at the van (in the rain) trying to get it to work but to no avail. My mother-in-law asked why I was crying that everything would work out. I remember thinking you do not know what we have gone through with our cars and here we are again! Well we got through that crisis and our next vehicle went out too.
For one month we went week to week not knowing what we were going to drive. I worked a job a little distance away so I needed a way to work. Thankfully, God had heard our cry and had spoken to three different people about lending a vehicle to us. The fourth week a couple in our church gave, yes gave a full-size van to us. We called it the good ole’ gospel van. We drove it for some time before purchasing a car for me. By this time my husband’s truck was fixed. After purchasing my car, we gave the van to a couple we knew who needed a vehicle.
What struck me about Job was in one ordinary day he had four servants come him bring bad news. And what was his response? In Job 1:20-22 it says:
20 At this, Job got up and tore his robe and shaved his head. Then he fell to the ground in worship 21 and said: "Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked I will depart. [c] The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away; may the name of the LORD be praised." 22 In all this, Job did not sin by charging God with wrongdoing.
He worshipped! He did not sit down and cry about all that had happened to him. He worshipped! Now as I read this chapter I thought back to the season where we had all the vehicle trouble. I did have a crying bout and probably more than one. And I did a lot of praying and crying out to God. But when it first happened, did I worship? No, I didn’t.
I don’t know what you are going through, what you are facing, what things have come to you one right after the other. But I want to encourage you to do as Job did and worship. Will it be easy to worship? Our flesh will fight against it. But we should push through all that and worship God for who He is. He is the great I Am!
Let’s pray. Father, thank You for all that You do for us. Thank You for your protection and your provision. In times when we feel like things are coming at us from all angles, help us to remember to stop and worship You first. Our flesh may want to fight against it, but we recognize that worship is what we need to do. You are the great I Am! We give You praise!
Blessings,
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