Oh, the story of Job. I know we can all probably say that we have had our fair share of bad days, but I think we could all agree that Job's bad day is far worse than any we have ever experienced.
Job had seven sons and three daughters, seven thousand sheep, three thousand camels, five hundred oxen, five hundred donkeys, and many servants. He was known as the greatest of all the people! But before the Bible mentions any of the things that he possessed it states something even more important. It states that Job was blameless and upright, one who feared God and turned away from evil.
Most of us are familiar with the story of Job. But if not, here is a quick synopsis:
Satan came to God one day and challenged that if God removes His hand of protection from all that Job has that surely Job will curse God. So God tells Satan that all that Job possesses he can touch, except Job's life. So, what happens next? Job's children are killed, his livestock taken and his servants killed. Then to make matters even worse Job is struck with sores from the top of his head to the bottom of his feet. He is left with only his life and his wife. And then his wife says to him, "Curse God and die!" In all of this the Bible says Job did not sin.
How would we have responded in Job's situation? Would we have cursed God? Would we have sinned? Would our view of God change based on our circumstances? For many people it does. For many people all it takes is one thing to go wrong (in their eyes) in their life and they ask God, "Why did you do this? How could you have done this?" And they stop trusting in God and they stop following God because all of a sudden he is not worthy (in their eyes) of their worship and devotion. How strong is your faith and trust in God? Do you say, "I will follow you, God, if...." That should not be true of our lives. Yes, we all go through trials in our lives. Yes, all trials are there for a reason. We may not ever know the reason, but the truth remains. God is in control and whether our circumstances are good we should praise Him and whether our circumstances are bad we should praise Him. Our trust in God should not be a conditional trust. If your trust in God is conditional, get this area in your life right today! Strengthen your relationship with God. Promise to serve Him and follow him no matter outcome of the situation! Because that is true devotion! God showed us the truest love and devotion when he sent His Son to die for us. Can we not show our appreciation to Him by living our lives dedicated to His service?? I would challenge you to search your heart as I have searched my own and truly dedicate your life to God unconditionally!
Job had seven sons and three daughters, seven thousand sheep, three thousand camels, five hundred oxen, five hundred donkeys, and many servants. He was known as the greatest of all the people! But before the Bible mentions any of the things that he possessed it states something even more important. It states that Job was blameless and upright, one who feared God and turned away from evil.
Most of us are familiar with the story of Job. But if not, here is a quick synopsis:
Satan came to God one day and challenged that if God removes His hand of protection from all that Job has that surely Job will curse God. So God tells Satan that all that Job possesses he can touch, except Job's life. So, what happens next? Job's children are killed, his livestock taken and his servants killed. Then to make matters even worse Job is struck with sores from the top of his head to the bottom of his feet. He is left with only his life and his wife. And then his wife says to him, "Curse God and die!" In all of this the Bible says Job did not sin.
How would we have responded in Job's situation? Would we have cursed God? Would we have sinned? Would our view of God change based on our circumstances? For many people it does. For many people all it takes is one thing to go wrong (in their eyes) in their life and they ask God, "Why did you do this? How could you have done this?" And they stop trusting in God and they stop following God because all of a sudden he is not worthy (in their eyes) of their worship and devotion. How strong is your faith and trust in God? Do you say, "I will follow you, God, if...." That should not be true of our lives. Yes, we all go through trials in our lives. Yes, all trials are there for a reason. We may not ever know the reason, but the truth remains. God is in control and whether our circumstances are good we should praise Him and whether our circumstances are bad we should praise Him. Our trust in God should not be a conditional trust. If your trust in God is conditional, get this area in your life right today! Strengthen your relationship with God. Promise to serve Him and follow him no matter outcome of the situation! Because that is true devotion! God showed us the truest love and devotion when he sent His Son to die for us. Can we not show our appreciation to Him by living our lives dedicated to His service?? I would challenge you to search your heart as I have searched my own and truly dedicate your life to God unconditionally!
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