Today, I sat down to write a blog post and honestly got so caught up in the life of Job in the bible that I spent the next few hours just reading.
In the first chapter of Job, it tells us that he was BLAMELESS and UPRIGHT. It says that he FEARED God and turned away from evil. The bible tells us that he was the greatest of all the people in the east. It paints a picture of a man with a life full of blessings. Job had it all.
Family. (7 sons and 3 daughters)
Friends.
Land.
Riches.
A million Animals. (7,000 sheep, 3,000 camels, 500 yoke of oxen, and 500 female donkeys)
That is a lot of animals to tend to – imagine how expensive it would be to take care of a family and land this size. Job was extremely blessed. In chapter one, it also paints a picture of Job as a good father, it says that “he rises early” and intercedes for them to God.
Yet, you see Satan’s challenge: of course Job loves God, look how much God has blessed him – why would he not love God?
Snap. Just like that – its all gone. I can’t help but compare this to our lives today. We are walking around “fine,” then all of sudden our life gets turned upside down (by sickness, death, changes, failing marriages, families torn apart, addiction, sorrow – you name it).
One by one Job’s servants come to him and explain he has lost everything. In a mere paragraph, we see Job go from a man with every possession, to a man who has lost everything.
Well, not quite everything.
Then Job arose and tore his robe and shaved his head and fell on the ground and worshiped. And he said, “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return. The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.” In all this Job did not sin or charge God with wrong. – Job 1:20-12
Job’s faith is relentless and amazing. His first reaction was WORSHIP. It seems insane, illogical. He fell to the ground and worshiped God. He didn’t blame God or swirl into immediate depression. He responded with worship.
Check out this video below with a song by my friend Ryan. He describes Job perfectly in my mind – All he wanted was YOU. Job just wanted God. That is all that mattered to him. Is God all we want? Today my prayer is that each of us would be able to say “All I need is You”. That Christ would be ever present on our minds and our hearts. And that we wouldn’t just worship God when everything was going good, but through every moment of our lives.
Billie Hoeppner
Thank you. I’m having a hard time seeing the plan and I find myself telling God what I “know”…questioning these opportunities to just trust him and hold fast. Thank you.