April 3 - Job (Pt. 3)

No video today...

Job 1:13-22

13 One day when Job's sons and daughters were feasting and drinking wine at the oldest brother's house, 14 a messenger came to Job and said, "The oxen were plowing and the donkeys were grazing nearby, 15 and the Sabeans attacked and carried them off. They put the servants to the sword, and I am the only one who escaped to tell you!"16 While he was still speaking, another messenger came and said, "The fire of God fell from the sky and burned up the sheep and the servants, and I am the only one who has escaped to tell you!" 17 While he was still speaking, another messenger came and said, "The Chaldeans formed three raiding parties and swept down on your camels and carried them off. They put the servants to the sword, and I am the only one who has escaped to tell you!" 18 While he was still speaking, yet another messenger came and said, "Your sons and daughters were feasting and drinking wine at the oldest brother's house, 19 when suddenly a mighty wind swept in from the desert and struck the four corners of the house. It collapsed on them and they are dead, and I am the only one who has escaped to tell you!" 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. 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.

Self-control. That is what this part of Job's story and life screams at me. We are faced with disasters and crimes, all the way down to someone dinging out car door in the parking lot and what do we do? We go absolutely crazy and almost on the verge of insane. We curse, we yell, we stomp around like a 3 year old, and we blame God. Does "How could God let this happen" ring a bell?

Job had everything he needed and then some. To reveal even more how much of a man of God Job was, he knew and proclaimed that all he had was from God. To some up his hardships here's a list in case you don't want to read the passage:

1) The Sabeans attacked his oxen and donkeys and carried them off.
2) The Sabeans put his servants to the sword (which means they were killed).
3) Fire rained down on his sheep and his servants (killing them all).
4) Three raiding parties of Chaldeans stormed his camels and servants, killing the servants and stealing his camels.
5) A strong wind caused Job's son's house to collapse on all of his children, killing them all.

To make each and every event even worse, the news of each happening came in continuation from the prior event. Imagine someone walking up to you and telling you every bad thing you never want to hear and it being absolutely true. That's basically what happened for Job. His world got flipped upside down in a matter of minutes.

Most of us would shut down and find comfort in other things, such as drugs, booze, movies, driving recklessly, or seeking revenge on the Sabeans or Chaldeans. Some of us would even go as far to seek revenge on God. Job knew better though.

He was remorseful in these events. He lost livestock and servants, but more than that, he lost his children. Just because Job didn't storm out of Uz and sneak attack the people who did this, it doesn't mean he didn't care. He recognized that everything is from God. He's the provider and he is also in full-control. Job had no idea that God and Satan had worked this out in order to test his faithfulness.

Job knew his place in life. He came into the world with nothing...not even clothes. He also knew that when he left the world, he would not be able to take anything with him except for his spirit. His relationship with God was strong and that is what got him through this difficult situation. He then goes on to note that the Lord is gracious and merciful in his giving. He also reserves the right to take away anything that he wants...because it all belongs to him. In the end though, this is what stands out the most:

MAY THE NAME OF THE LORD BE PRAISED.

Job did not sin. Job did not curse the Lord. He did not avenge the people who did it, nor did he place anger on God. He simply humbled himself and put himself in the perspective of God's enormousness and powerfulness. At the end of a horrible day when he lost almost everything, he praised God.

In circumstances like Japan has been facing, floods that the United States has seen just this year, children in warfare in Africa, poverty in cities across the country, and so much more, we have a tendency to place the blame on God. We treat it as though God has no right to take away anything from us. The question isn't, "how could God do this to me?", but it should be, "what can I do in this situation for God?" We have the opportunity to make his name known across the world and carry out his plan, but we simply do enough to get by in our own lives. In good times or bad, we should praise God...

God is all we need.