Job...Truth, or Legend?
I have heard people, on numerous occasions, compare themselves to Job when life is going wrong for them.
Job has a whole book in the Old Testament. He was a wealthy man, he had a wife and children, owned land and livestock, he was good, honest and faithful to God.
The story reads, that God asked satan if he'd seen Job, a model citizen who always did good things and loved God. But satan replied that Job was only faithful because his.life was great and he had so much. God always protected and blessed Job so if God took everything He had away from him, satan was convinced that he would not remain faithful.
God disagreed and said that Job would be faithful to Him, no matter what. God agreed that satan could test Job, take away his wealth, but said that he wasn't allowed to kill him. So satan caused Job's wealth to be taken from him, sores to appear on his body, before bad things accelerated and satan took Job's wife and children from him. No matter what happened, Job remained faithful to God.
Initially, Job's friends were supportive, but as more and more happened, everyone turned away from him. (Even his wife had told him to turn away from God when things began to go wrong in the first place!) They all deduced he must, have done something wrong to stir up God's wrath.
It sounds a depressing story, and for a long time, I never knew how it ended because I got fed up with reading about all the problems Job faced. When things were going wrong for me, I knew exactly what people meant when they compared themselves to Job!
What I didn't know until many years; because I didn't get to the end of the 42 chapters; that, having remained faithful to God, Job had his life restored.with twice as much as he'd lost - oh and his relatives came back to see him!
So is this a true record, or merely a story? In my opinion, I don't think that whether you believe that Job existed or not, is the main point. There are a few things I've drawn from the story of Job for you today.
Don't be lured into letting satan win over your life. If you keep trusting and honouring God, in everything, all will eventually be restored, and God will bless you in abundance. (It doesn't mean you will lose everything, by the way.)
If you could see satan, you would easily be able to avoid him and not let him win. I am not saying for one minute that your friends and family are satan, but he can work through anyone, and any situation, to try to win you over to his "side". Stand firm, be vigilant over all aspects of your life, and on your guard for the opportunites satan takes. Don't be tempted to listen to that small voice of temptation, criticism, defeat and all other negative emotions.
Be assured that God does not bring anything bad into your life. God is good. If you are faithful to Him, He will remain faithful to you.
As someone who has lost a child, I can honestly say that having two subsequent children, did not for one second make up for the one we lost. What it did, however, was help to fill a void created by the pain of loss. Would I have wanted all three? Of course I would. But sadly I couldn't have all three and I am so am grateful for the two I have.
Finally, if you focus on all the bad things in your life and wallow in self-pity, you will never be happy. Thank God for all those wonderful people and things in your life that make up the blessings you have been given. Choose to look for the good things and, no matter how small they are, make them your focus.
Jeany Pavett, Author of Life After Death: A Mother's Story
