#DailyDevotion So You Think You’ve Had A Bad Day?
February 4th
Read Job 1:1–22
Job 1:20-22 Then Job arose and tore his robe and shaved his head and fell on the ground and worshiped. (21) 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.” (22) In all this Job did not sin or charge God with wrong.
Ever have one of those days? Here is Job, someone whom God himself has called blameless and upright and look what happens to him in one day. Some Sabeans kill his servants and steal his animals. Fire comes down from heaven and kills all his sheep. Other enemies come upon him and steal other possessions and top off the day, all of his children are killed. So tell me how bad your day was. The absolute worse thing in this whole affair, the Lord not only knows about it, he is complicit in it. He makes Job a target and then lets Satan have free reign over the possessions of Job.
What did Job ever do to God for this to happen to him? God himself said he was blameless. Job is to be a lesson for all people everywhere who have a mistaken understanding of God, merits, good luck and bad luck and the faithfulness of God. Perhaps looking at what happened in one day to Job may cause you to more sincerely and faithfully pray, “And lead us not into temptation and deliver us from the evil one.”
Now God doesn’t need to test Job for himself. He knows what is on Job’s heart. He doesn’t even need Satan to see what sort of man Job is. But Job needs to see what is on his heart and have his faith purified. While it may seem pointless at the time Peter reminds us 1Pe 1:6-7 In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, (7) so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.
We see here Job does not curse God. He doesn’t say, “I can’t believe in a God who would let this happen to me.” No, instead Job blesses and praises God, “”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.” Any good thing we have is a gift from God. We do not deserve it. We’ve sinned against the Lord in so many ways we don’t even know. It is only his grace and mercy that keeps Satan at bay with us. You can have all the faith in the world in Jesus Christ and do everything right but Jesus is going to allow you to participate in his sufferings. (2Cor. 1) He is going to purify your faith in him through trials and tribulations. If you remain faithful you will see it be to the praise, glory and honor when Christ Jesus is revealed from heaven. So don’t give up.
Lord Jesus Christ, you tested your servant Job through Satan and Job remained faithful to you. So give us your Holy Spirit so that in the days, months and years of trials and tribulation we too may be faithful and that faithfulness result in praise, glory and honor on the day of your revelation. Amen.