Job

08.21.10

Job (Pronounced "Jobe")

There once was a wealthy man named, Job.  Cool thing about this dude is he was ROCK SOLID in his faith.  In fact, the Bible refers to him as "a man of COMPLETE INTEGRITY!"  Pretty amazing, if you ask me. 

Well anyway, Job was rich.  He had the modern day equivalent to a $50,000,000 family owned and operated agricultural business.  He and his boys, who helped him run the shop, had a great relationship and shared the responsibilities of running the shop well.  

They were a tight-knit family.

Their family business was flourishing.

They employed hundreds and hundreds of people (which provided for THEIR families!)

... and the best part of all... Job didn't take any of the credit!  He gave all the Glory to God!!!  

Amazing.

So... Satan, being the deceiver and destroyer that he is, comes up to God and says... 

Job 1:9-11 (NLT)

"Job has good reason to fear God.  You have always put a wall of protection around him and his home and his property.  You have made him prosper in everything he does.  Look how rich he is!  But reach out and take away everything he has, and he will surely curse you to your face!"

God sees this as an opportunity to assess Job's faithfulness, and already knows what will happen!  So he says....

 

Job 1:12-22 (NLT)

 ¹² “All right, you may test him,” the Lord said to Satan. “Do whatever you want with everything he possesses, but don’t harm him physically.” So Satan left the Lord’s presence.

Game on.

 ¹³ One day when Job’s sons and daughters were feasting at the oldest brother’s house, ¹⁴ a messenger arrived at Job’s home with this news: “Your oxen were plowing, with the donkeys feeding beside them, ¹⁵ when the Sabeans raided us. They stole all the animals and killed all the farmhands. I am the only one who escaped to tell you.”

Job lost his animals and farm hands

 ¹⁶ While he was still speaking, another messenger arrived with this news: “The fire of God has fallen from heaven and burned up your sheep and all the shepherds. I am the only one who escaped to tell you.”

Job lost his sheep and shepherds

 ¹⁷ While he was still speaking, a third messenger arrived with this news: “Three bands of Chaldean raiders have stolen your camels and killed your servants. I am the only one who escaped to tell you.”

Job lost his camels and servants

 ¹⁸ While he was still speaking, another messenger arrived with this news: “Your sons and daughters were feasting in their oldest brother’s home. ¹⁹ Suddenly, a powerful wind swept in from the wilderness and hit the house on all sides. The house collapsed, and all your children are dead. I am the only one who escaped to tell you.”

Job lost his kids.  HIS BABIES!  His heirs to his little kingdom.  Gone.

... and you know how he reacted???  With grief and mourning... of course!... BUT FILLED WITH WORSHIP ALSO! 

 ²⁰ Job stood up and tore his robe in grief. Then he shaved his head and fell to the ground to worship. ²¹ He said,

   “I came naked from my mother’s womb,
      and I will be naked when I leave.
   The Lord gave me what I had,
      and the Lord has taken it away.
   Praise the name of the Lord!”

 ²² In all of this, Job did not sin by blaming God.

Okay, seriously.  I'm so challenged by this, because my faith isn't nearly that strong yet.  I want it to be, don't get me wrong... but can you imagine?

You build a company up to $50M over your lifetime, and it just crumbles down in a single hour?  Then your successors/compadres/children all die in a freak accident.  Blow after Blow.  Hit after hit...  

How do you react?

Well, I don't know how I would... but I can venture to guess that Job didn't decide to start his faith with God on this day.  I'm thinking he filled his mind, body, and spirit up with full on faith way early in his life... and had a full tank when this draining set of circumstances came his way.

We can learn from that, because let's be honest:  LIFE HAPPENS.  Maybe not to this severity... but you know just as well as I do that LIFE JUST HAPPENS.  

You run out of gas on the freeway

Your kid brings home a cold, and passes it to the family

You lose you job to an unexpected "restructuring"

You slip on ice and bang your head on the sidewalk, causing concussion and life long brain challenges

YOU CANNOT PREVENT LIFE FROM HAPPENING...

but you CAN pre-pare yourself for how you will respond.... by filling your mind with faith strengthening things.  

Philippians 4:8 (New Living Translation)

 ⁸ And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.

Just as Job built a reputation for being "a man of complete integrity," we must do the same.  By focusing and thinking about things that are right, pure, and lovely... and by walking with God through our every day life (and giving Him all the glory and praise for good things), we will keep the right perspectives and be able to stand strong when life throws storms at us.