August 26, 2005

Job

There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and that man was blameless and upright, and one that feared God, and eschewed evil. And there were born unto him seven sons and three daughters. His substance also was seven thousand sheep, and three thousands camels, and five hundred yoke of oxen, and five hundred she asses, and a very great houshold; so that this man was the greatest of all the men of the east. And his sons went and feasted in thier houses, every one his day; and sent and called for their three sisters to eat and to drink with them. And it was so, when the days of their feasting were gone about, that Job sent and sanctified them, and rose up early in the morning, and offered burnt offerings according to the number of them all: for Job said, It may be that my sons have sinned, and cursed God in their hearts. Thus did Job continually.
Again there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan came also among them to present himself before the Lord. And the Lord said unto Satan, From whence comest thou? And Satan answered the Lord, and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it. And the Lord said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil? and still he holdeth fast his integrity, although thou movedst me against him, to destroy him without cause. And Satan answered the Lord, and said, Skin for skin, yea, all that a man hath will he give for his life. But put forth thine hand now, and touch his bone and his flesh, and he will curse thee to thy face. And the Lord said unto Satan, Behold, he is in thine hand; but save his life. So went Satan forth from the presence of the Lord, and smote Job with sore boils from the sole of his foot unto his crown. ANd he took him a potsherd to scrape himselft withal; and he sat down among the ashes. Then said his wife unto him, Doest thou still retain thine integrity? curse God, and die. But he said unto her, Thou speakest as one of the foolish women speaketh. What? she we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil. In all this did not Job sin with his lips.

Yes Job questioned, yes Job wondered, but still he did not speak against God. He had an understanding and faith in God that went beyond his riches, and followed him into his adversity. Job did nothing to deserve the trouble, but that's not what we are to learn from the story of Job: God provides, all that we have is by His grace and by His goodness. The question is if you didn't have those things, would you still serve God?: If you have nothing will you serve God? If you have everything will you serve God? Why do you serve God? Do you serve God from the material or do you serve God from the heart? Job continually asked God "why", at the same time, God asked Job: "Why?"

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