“Then Satan answered the LORD and said, “Does Job fear God for no reason? Have you not put a hedge around him and his house and all that he has, on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land. But stretch out your hand and touch all that he has, and he will curse you to your face.” And the LORD said to Satan, “Behold, all that he has is in your hand. Only against him do not stretch out your hand.” So Satan went out from the presence of the LORD.” (Job 1:9–12, ESV)
Today’s meditation may shake up your ideological and philosophical world. It may make you rethink what you believe about God, Satan, good, evil, life and death. The scripture above from Job exposes spiritual lies, denounces shallow religiosity, beats down spurious notions about suffering, and overthrows simplistic theological concepts. If your faith is based on shallow presuppositions and false ideologies, today’s scripture and meditation will force you to face your sin and error. In a few words, today’s scripture will shake up any false beliefs you harbor while purifying your relationship with God into something more perfect…. if you are truly faithful.
Scared yet? You should be. Scholars have argued for centuries over the very scripture chosen for today from Job 1. Some see this scripture as revealing. Others call it literary rubbish. Most pastors won’t preach on it. Most Christians who read Job skim over the book without thinking about the seriousness of the matters within. If you value God at all, I want you to take a good hard look at what today’s scripture is revealing about Job, God, Satan, sin, and salvation.
Before we open up the discussion of Job, I want to introduce you to a friend of mine who will illustrate some of the issues from Job. We met almost four decades ago. He and I were in ministry together. We worshipped together. He had wonderful talents such as singing, playing the piano, and harmonizing. Youth were drawn by his charisma. He was a joy to be around. He was the kind of guy you loved doing something with on a day off. His name was John.
John grew up in a Christian home. He was active in Sunday School. He grew closer to God in his youth, committing himself to Jesus when he was in high school. Everyone I knew would describe John as “on fire for the Lord”. Yes, that’s word for word what a few said to me! John’s faith seemed unshakeable, vibrant, and deep. John was a spiritual rock you could lean on in desperate times.
Five years after I met John, things began to unravel in John’s life. In a year’s time, he lost his job, broke up with his long-time girlfriend, and found himself living back home with his parents. That didn’t stop John from youth ministry leadership and from helping others. John seemed like he could weather any storm in life and come out stronger. Sadly, that proved untrue.
After the setbacks in his personal life, John seemed to bounce back beautifully. However, soon cracks began to develop around character. After the loss of a close friend in a car accident, John started drinking. A year later, John was passed over for promotion in his new job. He took it personally as an insult. Despite doing amazing things in his youth ministry, John looked exhausted. Then, the depression hit. John pulled back from colleagues and friends. Just when I thought John had hit rock bottom, John quit his youth ministry job. He stopped seeing his Christian friends. He quit talking to me. He became angry and bitter and resentful. When I stopped to check on him, I remember him repeating, “A good God doesn’t let bad things happen to good people. I don’t believe in God anymore. God was just a fantasy of my youth. I know now that God isn’t real. He can’t be. I’m suffering. I’m living proof.”
John and Job have something in common. Both experienced great loss, life-altering reversals, and traumas. Both were affected by evil deeds and Satanic manipulation. However, Job and John took two different paths after encountering suffering and loss and pain. Job clung to God. John retreated into depressive anger and atheistic beliefs.
In the scripture for today from Job 1:9-12, Satan and God have a conversation about Job. God has blessed Job for his faith, his righteous living, and his obedience. Satan accuses God of overprotecting Job. Satan complains: “Does Job fear God for no reason? Have you not put a hedge around him and his house and all that he has, on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land.” (Job 1:9–10). Satan was arguing that the only reason Job had such a vibrant, righteous faith was because of God’s protection. Satan believed that Job would curse God when things got difficult in life. God was about to prove Satan wrong. God knew Job’s faith was not related to only blessing. God knew that Job would be faithful and obedient in good and bad days. Satan was excited to put Job to the test. God ended today’s scripture by saying, “Behold, all that he [Job] has is in your hand. Only against him do not stretch out your hand.” (Job 1:12). God put limits on how badly Satan could hurt Job (can you imagine what Satan would have done if Job was not a faithful believer?!!!!).
Immediately, Satan was hell-bent on destroying Job’s life. Foreign invaders stole Jacob’s oxen (Job 1:14). Not long after, a fire broke out in the fields and many sheep died. Servants died with them (Job 1:16). Jacob’s income was shattered. I’m sure Satan was having a field day enjoying all the trauma being thrown at Job. Within a short time, Job incurred more losses. His camels were stolen by warring Chaldeans (Job 1:17). More servants died in the battle. Then, Job’s family was struck. His children were partying when a large storm came and flattened the building they were in (Job 1:18-19). None of Job’s children survived the calamity. What was Job’s response after all these losses and the destruction. Job 1:22 tells us plainly that “In all this Job did not sin or charge God with wrong.”
Satan was not pleased with Job’s continued faithfulness. So, Satan continued his warpath of destruction. Not long after wrecking Job’s business, his income, his home, his servants, and his family, Satan went after Job’s health. Satan caused sores to erupt all over Job’s body. Satan was sure this would cause Job’s faith to be ruined. What does the scripture tell us? “In all this Job did not sin with his lips.” (Job 2:10).
Job’s wife blamed God for everything that went wrong, even urging Job to “curse God and die” (Job 2:9). Job’s friends were resentful toward God. Job began to wonder why this was happening to him (Job 3), but refused to give up his faith, his love for God, and his obedience. In the end, Satan gave up on wrecking Job’s life. Satan knew that despite what he could do, Job was never going to curse God, give up the faith, and become disobedient.
God then blessed Job greatly. God healed Job’s wounds and gave him new children, a new house, huge herds much larger than before, and great wealth. Job went on to live one hundred and forty years, greatly revered for his faithful obedience and endurance despite suffering.
After so much suffering and pain and loss, Job would not give up on God. I only wish my friend John had chosen the same path. Instead, John renounced his faith, rejected Jesus, and became anti-God. John refused to worship, quit his ministry, ended his church membership, rejected his Christian friendships, and decided to go his own way without God. I have always wondered what happened to John since. I have so prayed that he would repent and return to the Lord.
So, what do the scripture for today and Job’s life teach us? Satan loves to shake up your faith, destroy things around you, and cause havoc in your life. Satan can cause illness to increase and bring death to those you love. Satan can damage your income, wreck your plans, and burn every dream you have. But no matter what will be thrown at you, keep your faith. Hold on tightly to God. God’s blessing will come. God will restore you. Suffering is not the end. Death is not the end. God keeps His promises. God watches over all you do. God is watching how you deal with loss and pain. Others may try to sway your faith. Accidents will shake things up. Your plans may go up in smoke. Only true faith will bring godly blessings. Only an obedience to God that won’t quit will result in eternal rewards.
Today, I said another prayer for John to come back to the Lord. I prayed for all those whose faith has been tossed away. I prayed for those enduring suffering and loss. The Lord our God loves you dearly. How you live in dark times will define your faith. How much you love Jesus will be exhibited in the choices you make when the chips are down.
The same applies to our nation. We have been greatly blessed as a people. However, there are those who desire to tear down faith, end obedience to God, worship false ideologies, and cause suffering all over the world. Satan wants to shake up and damage all godliness. At this 250th celebration of our nation's independence, obedience to God is being threatened. Atheistic socialists, militant Islamists, greedy capitalists, and arrogant humanists threaten the peace of many. Suffering has become normalized. Irreverence is painfully obvious all over the internet. Satan is hell-bent on tearing down anything good. How we respond as a nation will determine the next 250 years.
“Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him.” (James 1:12)
“Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and for ten days you will have tribulation. Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life.” (Revelation 2:10)