Enduring With Job: 7 Days Of HopeՕրինակ

Two more characters are now introduced into the story: God and Satan. God calls together His servants, or angels, and among them is one who probably does not belong.

God calls Satan out to account for his recent activity. Almost as a non-answer Satan replies, I was wandering around. What follows is the sentence which sparks the rest of the book’s conflict: God asks Satan if he knows about Job.

Why would God do that? Why would he set up his faithful servant for pain and misfortune?

Satan jumps at the opportunity to test one of God’s servants. He argues that Job’s faithfulness is only a product of God’s goodness to him. Without God’s continual blessing, Job would be an entirely different person. Satan asks God to see for himself and send trouble Job’s way.

God agrees and Satan heads out to attack Job.

The rest of the book will struggle with the questions left open by this passage. Why does God allow suffering? Does he cause it? What is evil’s role in the world? Do we deserve all the pain that comes into our lives?

For now, focus on how the interaction between God and Satan played out. Satan had to ask for permission before ever going near Job. And even with permission, God set boundaries as to what he could do (do not lay a finger on the man himself).

There is no such thing as good versus evil because there is no force in the entire universe as powerful as our God. There is God and everything is under Him. Every piece of creation must answer to Him, even Satan.

This truth comforts and frustrates me at the same time. It comforts because I know that nothing has come into my life without God knowing about it and allowing it. He is the gatekeeper, our constant guard. But it’s also frustrating because so often we do not see the purpose in our pain.

Job had no idea this conversation took place. He was simply living life as he always had when, all of a sudden, his world crumbled. Our experience of pain usually matches his.

This small insight is a powerful truth. Before the pain and the arguments and ultimately, the relief found in Job’s story, we are able to catch a glimpse of God’s supremacy. Even in our darkest times, we can have hope because He knows what is happening.

Takeaway: Nothing comes into our lives without God’s permission.

Prayer: Father, thank You for being my all-powerful Protector. Help me to know that I can have peace because You see me and You care.