Hardship

I try to read to the kids each night before bed, we are currently reading a children’s bible. It’s not one of those that give tiny detail so kids don’t ask questions; it gives the details of the good and the bad. It explains the power of God and the terrible sin people do. It is a great time for us to just sit and listen to what Jesus might be showing us each night.
My little one typically eats a pop tart and falls asleep, the older one listens very well and asks tough questions. When we made it to the story of Job, she was really confused and quite frankly I didn’t have the answers she was asking. It describes the story of Satan telling God that he can break Job’s trust in God if God allows him to try. It says that God allowed him to test Job. Zoey immediately stopped me and asked, “God is supposed to be good, why he is allowing Job to go through that and allow Satan to kill his kids and take everything from him?” I told her that we should keep reading (I had no clue how to explain that…). We got to the next part where Satan tells God that since Job didn’t break the first time, he should take his health BUT promises not to kill him, God allowed it. Zoey, of course, was really confused now. She said, “as if he wasn’t hurt already he allowed him to be sick with boils all over his body. How is that ok?” To be honest, I am still doing some research to try to wrap by head around the whole story. But, there are some important things that we need to realize when looking at the book in whole.

Yes, he suffered a great deal and went through things that we might not have been able to handle. But, even through losing his land, kids, animals, and health he stayed faithful to God the whole time. I know we think he is crazy but he is an example to all of us. We live in a world of sin and will face our own tribulations but how we respond to those will ultimately show our true colors and where our faith stands. Will we give up like Jobs wife told him to do? Will we get mad at God and leave our relationship with him? Do we blame others because we think were better and don’t deserve the pain?

Just because our salvation is sealed with God and we are steadfast Christians does not mean that we will not face hardship. Job is a beautiful example to us on how we should be patient and continue to trust when bad things happen in this world. I really like how the author of the book of Job points out that his wife did not support him, his friends tried but didn’t give Godly advice, and that he started questing everything himself. This is a great way to compare him to us and show us that he was a human just like we are. We will go through things in this life that feel unbearable and we probably will have people in our ears that are not giving us godly advice, they will give advice of what our flesh wants. We will probably have spouses that are not supportive or family that think are crazy for trusting God. Did that stop Job though? No, and it shouldn’t stop you.

What really stood out to me is when Job questions God and how God responds. He ripped him a new one… honestly. He basically put us all in check and gave us a moment of realization of how powerful He is and how He is the creator, the great I Am, and the ultimate God of all.

Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth?
Tell me, if you have understanding,
Who set its measurements? Since you know.
Or who stretched the line on it? (Job 38:4-5)

Have you ever in your life commanded the morning,
and caused the dawn to know its place,
That it might take hold of the ends of the earth,
and the wicked be shaken out of it? (Job 38:12-13)

Do you know the ordinances of the heavens,
or fix their rule over the earth? (Job 38:33)

Does that not make you feel like the size of an ant compared to God? We can think we are these great people or we are smarter than others, or we have great jobs and are more rich than most. But, where were we when He laid the foundation of the earth? When He created man? When He made light and dark? WE WERENT EVEN CREATED YET. What makes us think are more powerful than God? what makes us think He isn’t in control?

If you have a situation that you think God allowed Satan to attack you, just remember Job went through much worse than we can image and in the end he kept his faith. He was blessed with 2X the amount of things he had before and was known throughout the Bible for being more patient and strong than most.

When you go through hardship, Remember to put God first and continue to trust and follow Him. Our struggle isn’t against flesh and blood (Ephesians 6:12). It’s against Satan who’s trying to attack and destroy us. Fortunately, we have the creator of the world on our side who will turn evil into good. Go be a Job even when it seems impossible.

Much Love,
Charity

The link below is a great article about the hard question of why Job suffered.

https://www.gotquestions.org/God-Job-Satan.html