A Helpful Lesson From Job

Job was a good, righteous, and holy man who lost it all. If one-tenth of Job's troubles happened to us, would we do what he did upon hearing of his losses? Before he said a thing, "...he fell to the ground in worship" (Job 1:20). Job saw God as the blessed controller of all things, so he worshipped.

Even though Job had made a godly response, his problems didn't go away. His three "friendly enemies" accuse him of having hidden sin or of having parents who had sinned.

In a most wrenching passage, Job wished he had never been born. In effect, God said to him, "You're holding on to one more thing--your need to know the why of your circumstances. Your job is to trust Me."

Finally, Job said, "Yes, God, You alone are in control." Then God handed back to Job all he had lost and more--another lesson to Job that God really was in control. 

Before Satan could touch Job, he had to ask God's permission and stay within the boundaries God set. Satan still seeks to harm God's children, but although our troubles may originate with Satan or the sin of other people, by the time they reach us they have passed by God for His approval. He allows only those which bring glory to Himself when we continue to trust through trials.

God carefully weighs every burden He puts on us and will never put on us more than we can bear nor more than He can make work for our ultimate good and His glory.

When we get to Heaven and review our lives from God's perspective, we'll find that His watchful, overruling presence was working in the very places in which we least suspected Him.

Thank You, Father, for caring for us in the difficult times when we cannot see You. Help us to worship you even in those times.

"Thanks be to God who always gives us the victory" (1 Cor. 15:57).