My book of bible stories (Job 2)

I really don’t understand how it was possible for Job to withstand the pressure from all his loved ones and closest circle to curse God and Die. Oh! I actually do.. He had always trusted God and his predicament wasn’t going to change what he believed. How ever, Job had fears. Job was a believer, not a state of mind but he lived a life of BE-LIVING in God and he was willing to stake his life on God’s goodness. That kind of trust, is rare. It could only have been birthed out of a place of constant fellowship, YES, emphasis on FELLOWSHIP. God was able to tell Satan point blank that Job was an upright man and He wouldn’t do what the devil wanted. Job on the other hand was able to look all his friends and even his wife in the eye, telling them He couldn’t curse God even if it meant him dying and getting out of his misery.

In all of Job’s confusion, one thing was certain, God is righteous and wouldn’t make a mistake. While his other friends were encouraging him to curse God, Job had one kinder, gentler friend who evidently had faith in God too and wouldn’t get into any heated argument but only admonished Job to repent and worship God, yeah repent. Job somehow cowered from time to time but thank God for godly friends. Listen to me, you men of understanding:
Far be it from God to do wickedness,
And from the Almighty to commit iniquity.’( Job 34:10).

Everyone on Job’s team turned violently against him, thinking he could only have offended God and he’d get out of his mystery through death, in other words, curse God and die. Nothing is as hurtful when the people around you lose faith in you and not just regular people around you, the closest and most trusted people just don’t believe you anymore. Imagine being in a court and you are being accused of murder, first few weeks of trial, your friends and family are outraged at the accusations and they can stake their lives that you’d be found not guilty. Trial continues, evidences that you know are not true pop up and your friends starts backing out and pointing fingers at you to confess… how would you feel? Exactly what happened to Job. He still trusted God. Elihu did not defend Job as innocent. But his arguments shifted the emphasis of suffering from punishment to warning. Elihu defended God’s action. This made me ask myself, how do you beat your chest and defend someone you have never seen and everyone is blaming for punishing a righteous man? I answered myself too, it had to be because of the vitality of Elihu’s relationship with God. He understood how God worked, His Character, He trusted ‘God’s Person’. “ it is unthinkable that God would do wrong, that the Almighty would pervert justice” (Job 34:12).

After Elihu’s admonition to Job, Job finally hears from God as he has been demanding. God’s entire speech stressed the vast difference between a God of all creation and one puny man like Job. Job had saved up a long list of questions, but it was God who asked Job questions. God needed Job to understand that he hadn’t change and wouldn’t change.. God reminded Job of his resume and all He can do and all He does. God needed Job to be reminded that He doesn’t explain, He explodes… we often ask God the why questions. Why is this happening? Why this and that? And we actually expect answers from God because in our mystery we have forgotten that he is sovereign and God is always for us. Instead of asking the why questions, why not Praise through what you are going through. Praise is the mother of the manifestation of God’s presence . A personal visit from God utterly silenced all Job’s questions about God’s unfairness. Once he saw God, he had nothing more to say. Unlike Job, you don’t have to wait to see God.. you have God on your inside and you can always ask for comfort and strength to trust God in every situation.

In response to God, Job repented (wise move) and acknowledged his sovereignty and power (even more wise)… He worshipped God even in his misery and was restored having much more than He had before before… Job left that state of misery with a stronger, better relationship with God totally eradicating fear in his heart for understood God’s precepts.

Forward Step: There’s a devil who hates you, there’s also a God who loves you and always has your best interest in heart, He loves you too much to put you in arms way. You can trust God wholeheartedly in every situation. Ask the Holyspirit to strengthen you today so you can fully Trust God and His ways.

Study material: The Book Of Job