5/16/2026
"When you have nothing left but God,
only then can you realize that God is enough."
Daily Walk
"How deep is your commitment to God?" Job was a wealthy rancher living in the land of Uz; he was a man who feared God and walked uprightly shunning the very appearance of evil. He had a large family of seven sons and three daughters, who enjoyed getting together on their birthdays to celebrate. Job did not want his children to accidentally enter into sin during these celebrations, so when the parties ended he would gather his children, sanctify them and offer sacrifices for them just in case they sinned. I know how that goes, as I've prayed for my children before, during and after. In fact at this moment my younger son, who lives with me is off at an appointment, and I'm praying for his safety and well-being. Parents care about the health and welfare of their children, especially their spiritual welfare. Job walked with God, and he did not want to offend Him or others with inappropriate behavior or unintentional sin. He was a compassionate and generous man, the story goes, who helped others in need, and God had blessed him greatly.
One day when the angels were gathering in heaven before God, Satan came along. God asked him what he'd been up to, and Satan told Him that he'd been roaming the earth watching everything that was going on, and probably causing mayhem, because he goes around like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour as 1 Peter 5:8 later described him. Then God asked Satan if he'd considered His servant Job, because he was "the finest man in all the earth - a good man who fears God and will have nothing to do with evil." (Job 1:8) Satan took the bait, and God allowed him to cause Job to lose his wealth, but He would not allow Satan to hurt him physically. Satan was quick to devastate Job by having the Sabeans to raid and drive off the animals and kill all but one farmhand who was able to inform Job. Next, a messenger can to tell him that fire had fallen from God and consumed his sheep and herdsmen, and before the words were from that man's mouth another messenger came to say the Chaldeans had driven off his camels and killed the servants. Finally, another messenger came to say that while his sons and daughters were feasting in the older son's house, that a mighty wind had caused the roof to fall in and kill all his children. All this bad news happened in succession, probably as a horrified Job stood there breathless with each report. Imagine that much tragedy in one day, within minutes of each other. The scripture notes Job's response as: "Then Job stood up and tore his robe in grief and fell down upon the ground before God. 'I came naked from my mother's womb,' he said, 'and I shall have nothing when I die. The Lord gave me everything I had, and they were his to take away. Blessed be the name of the Lord.' In all of this Job did not sin or revile God." (Job 1:20-22). I'm sure that did not sit well with the enemy who had hoped Job would curse God, but not faithful Job.
The next time the angels came again to present themselves before God, Satan showed up again. God once more asked him what he'd been up to, and the response was the same as previously. So God asked him once more to consider His servant Job. Since Satan had lost the bet the last visit, and Job had not turned his back on God, Satan told God that if he was allowed to take his health, Job would curse Him. God once more gave Satan permission to afflict Job physically, but he was not allowed to take his life. So Satan had Job stricken with boils all over his body - painful and nasty. It was at this point that Job's wife told him to curse God and die, but Job didn't listen. He told her she was talking like a heathen. Not too long after this Job's three friends - Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar - showed up to console their friend, or so they felt that's what they were offering. They were so shocked at Job's appearance and his obvious agony when they first saw him that they sat in silence for seven days, not speaking a word, until at last Job in his agony and suffering blurted out the words "Let the day of my birth be cursed," and he proceeded to lament his existence further, wondering why this had happened to him. It seems like a normal reaction to me. But no, after that poor Job's real suffering began as he experienced not only the pain of his physical maladies and the emotional terror of losing his family and wealth, but he felt the betrayal of fair weather or 'would be' friends. One little slip of the tongue, and a barrage of verbal bullets began to be loosed against Job. I'm not so sure I could just sit there and take all of the well meaning concern and advice myself. The commentary says, "after exhausting the conventional wisdom of his counselors, Job is confronted by God Himself, and his demanding "why" melts into humble worship."
In the end, after each of his friends took their turns buffeting Job with godly counsel, God spoke directly to Job and set things straight regarding Job's questions, and He vindicated Job before his friends and told Job to pray for them. Then, God restored all Job previously owned doubling the number of animals and increasing his wealth. God even gave him seven sons and three beautiful daughters. He lived 140 more years and had grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Nothing else is mentioned about the wife, but I'm sure she was humbled as well and perhaps gained a little more gratitude and fear of the Lord as well as respect for her husband.
People always talk about the patience of Job, but actually he was getting a bit unsteady at one point. After he cursed the day he was born and spoke of his misery and longing for death, the scripture says in Job 1:25-26: "What I always feared has happened to me. I was not fat and lazy, yet trouble struck me down." I have always wondered what Job meant by saying what he feared would happen. I guess that's one of the many mysteries we will discover once we are either raised from death to life again or get carried away to His Presence where we will have eternity to discover the answers. We all experience or will experience suffering, mishaps, turmoil, loss, and so many things in this life and in this evil age. But the one thing we can say is that when we serve our Risen Savior who saved our souls from sin and eternal damnation, He said in John 16:33: "I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." Satan is out of business spiritually speaking, so we have no need of his roars if we trust in the Lord and lean not to our own understanding. We must have faith to believe and accept His great gift of salvation, and we must trust in His Word. Although things come along, and Satan will certainly try to get the best of us, nevertheless, "Our God reigns forevermore!" (Psalm 97:1)
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