Enduring With Job: 7 Days Of HopeSýnishorn

We are introduced to Job at a high point in his life. Job was a man of God who went about his life in the right manner, made the right choices, and was rewarded for his good deeds.

He was also a very rich man in multiple ways. These verses go on to tell about the size of his family (10 children) and the size of his flocks (thousands of animals).

He was a great man, a righteous man, and undoubtedly a powerful man with all of his resources. Yet, he took time each day to sacrifice for the well-being of his children to ensure their right standing with God.

Everything at this point in the story is good, almost too good.

Job is not everyman, he’s not like us. Quite honestly, he’s better than us. He has more, is more, and cares more. If it was modern times, Job would have been the person giving extra in the offering plate, the member who attended every prayer meeting, and the one who always volunteered. He would have had stories of God’s provision in his business, and God’s protection on exotic mission trips.

He’s the person we should want to be like and the person we envy because they have it all. He would have made us sick with jealousy as he shared stories of God’s action in his life.

All of this makes the coming trouble that much more devastating. It was this very fact, that Job stuck out in such a notable way, that made trouble come find him. Satan chooses him precisely because of his standing with God. Not in spite of it, like so many of us would like to believe.

The goodness of Job is a clear message that goodness is not enough to keep us from trouble. Job had it all and was better than the average person in every way possible.

But none of it could prevent what was about to come. We are about to see how unfair both life, and even God, can be.

Takeaway: Being good does not prevent pain from entering our lives.

Prayer: Dear God, help me learn about You through Job’s story and to come away with a hope that You are with me in my pain.