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- Oct 26, 2007
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Then the LORD asked Satan, "Have you noticed my servant Job? He is the finest man in all the earth. He is blameless--a man of complete integrity. He fears God and stays away from evil." Job 1:8 NLT
It’s usually a compliment to be noticed. But Job might rather have stayed anonymous! Why would God suggest that Satan take notice of literally the “finest man in all the earth”? Shouldn’t God rather cover and protect such a man and keep him out of harm’s way?
In suffering, there’s always the temptation to oversimplify the purposes of God, whose judgments are “unsearchable” and ways are “mysterious” (Romans 11:33). That leads us to the mistake Job’s friends made, arguing that Job had sinned in some way and brought punishment upon himself. But Job’s sin was not the cause but rather the result of his suffering. He eventually demanded the Almighty justify Himself. That’s when God stepped in and corrected Job’s presumption, leading Job to withdraw his accusations: “I…repent” (Job 42:6). Job never got answers to his questions, but he did get a deeper relationship with God. Even Jesus, “though He was God’s Son, He learned obedience through what He suffered” (Hebrews 5:8). No one asks for suffering, but if we cling to God during times of severe testing, He will show Himself faithful, and we will come to know Him better.
Prayer: Merciful God, grant me the strength to endure anything to know You more.
It’s usually a compliment to be noticed. But Job might rather have stayed anonymous! Why would God suggest that Satan take notice of literally the “finest man in all the earth”? Shouldn’t God rather cover and protect such a man and keep him out of harm’s way?
In suffering, there’s always the temptation to oversimplify the purposes of God, whose judgments are “unsearchable” and ways are “mysterious” (Romans 11:33). That leads us to the mistake Job’s friends made, arguing that Job had sinned in some way and brought punishment upon himself. But Job’s sin was not the cause but rather the result of his suffering. He eventually demanded the Almighty justify Himself. That’s when God stepped in and corrected Job’s presumption, leading Job to withdraw his accusations: “I…repent” (Job 42:6). Job never got answers to his questions, but he did get a deeper relationship with God. Even Jesus, “though He was God’s Son, He learned obedience through what He suffered” (Hebrews 5:8). No one asks for suffering, but if we cling to God during times of severe testing, He will show Himself faithful, and we will come to know Him better.
Prayer: Merciful God, grant me the strength to endure anything to know You more.
