"Shall we receive good from God, and shall we not
receive evil?"
(Job 2:10)
(Job 2:10)
When Job answers
his wife’s foolish, sinful, and completely understandable encouragement to “Curse
God and die,” the patriarch is sitting in a pile of ashes, using a broken piece
of pottery to scrape the painful sores that cover his body from head to foot.
He is, no doubt, weeping at the sudden, unexpected, and violent death of his
ten children, and he is still reeling from the shocking news that his
livestock, the herds and flocks which comprise his entire wealth and
livelihood, have all been captured or killed.
It is not
surprising Job’s wife would wish to curse the Sovereign Lord who has taken
everything from them, nor is it startling to hear Job pray to die (6:8-9) and
lament he had ever been born (3:1-26). What is shocking is that he continues trusting
God even as he does so. Satan did not believe Job truly trusted God. He accused
Job of only having faith because God blessed him (1:9-11; 2:4-5). Would Job trust
God for nothing, when there is no advantage, when his entire world is
shattered, when everything he knows and loves falls apart and is blown away by
the wind? Would he serve the Lord in pain and loss?
Job became
bitter for a time because of the magnitude of his suffering. He said things he
later repented of saying (40:3-5; 42:1-6). But he never denied God. He knew
there is a God in heaven who reigns and rules over all He has made. He believed
God acted as Judge in heaven and on earth. It is true Job believed God made a mistake
in his case (9:13-22). Job’s theology could not account for the suffering of a
righteous man. But the patriarch’s confusion, pain, and bitterness never caused
him to deny the true and living God.
What about you?
Do you fear God for nothing? Would you worship Him even if there were no
advantage in doing so? Do you serve Him because He is God or because you want
the gifts you think such homage will bring you? Faith is not trust when
exercised in comfortable and convenient circumstances. Serving God in times of
abundance requires little or no trust at all. We learn whether we trust God in
troubled times, in seasons of pain, suffering, and loss. Such trouble reveals the
true character of our faith and gives us insight into our hearts in a way prosperity
never can. May God give us grace to celebrate His sovereignty in good times and
bad. -JME
