And
the LORD said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job, that there is none
like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, who fears God and turns away
from evil?” Job 1:8 RSV
I cringe when I hear someone say that natural disasters are God’s punishment on people for their sins. I have heard it said twice in two days that God has sent these hurricanes (i.e. Harvey and Irma) to punish our nation.
What pompous, prejudicial
statements! Who can know these things?
I daresay, those who
make such comments are reminiscent of Job’s “friends” who slandered him. They thought
they had the answers to the calamities that he faced, the answer to the why
of his suffering based on their narrow beliefs and theories of God. They thought surely God was punishing Job for
his sins, and that Job was deserving of all the punishment. They passed a
shallow verdict on Job and presumed to know more than they possibly could know.
They were wrong and God
rebuked them. (See Job 42:7)
Job suffered according to the permissive will of God. God allowed Satan to test his servant Job.
"All right, you may test him," the LORD said to Satan. "Do whatever you want with everything he possesses, but don't harm him physically." So Satan left the LORD's presence. Job 1:12 NLT
And through it all, all the calamities that befell him -- loss of property and children, the contempt of his friends, and the loss of health, and the consequent mental, physical, and spiritual suffering that followed – no matter what he went through, Job stood true to the integrity of God. He had an implicit understanding of God’s character and he held true to his relationship with God.
"All right, you may test him," the LORD said to Satan. "Do whatever you want with everything he possesses, but don't harm him physically." So Satan left the LORD's presence. Job 1:12 NLT
And through it all, all the calamities that befell him -- loss of property and children, the contempt of his friends, and the loss of health, and the consequent mental, physical, and spiritual suffering that followed – no matter what he went through, Job stood true to the integrity of God. He had an implicit understanding of God’s character and he held true to his relationship with God.
What?
Shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil? In all
this did not Job sin with his lips. Job 2:10b
Though
he slay me, yet will I trust in him. Job 13:15a
Job proved Satan, who
is the accuser of the brethren (Revelations 12:10), wrong – men do worship
God for more than just His blessings.
Job also proved his
friends wrong. Job had not brought the suffering on himself by his own
wickedness.
When facing the storms
of life, consider God’s servant Job, whose faith when tried came through as
pure gold.
That
the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth,
though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honor and glory at
the appearing of Jesus Christ. 1 Peter 1:7 KJV
Give a hand to someone
in crisis. Help lift someone up. Pious platitudes and judgments are not helpful.
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| Beaver Creek Reservoir Charlottesville, Virginia ~ courtesy of Eileen DeCamp |
Thank you for taking
the time to read Write Moments with God.
I appreciate you and have prayed for all who visit this blog. I hope you will join me in prayers for all those
who are in the path of hurricanes and any other storms you face. As we call
upon God, may His grace and mercy be with us, and may we find strength and help
in our times of need.
