Allowing Adversity to Change Your PerspectiveSample

Dance

In Uz, a region southeast of the Jordan River, there lived a blameless man. His name was Job, and he was very rich. Scripture lists the animals he owned in thousands and hundreds. Job also had ten children. He had received all of these blessings from God. It is easy to be faithful when it’s all going well, isn’t it?

Satan thought so, too, so he asked for permission to remove all God had given to Job. God granted his request. Job’s faith did not waver. So, Satan returned a second time, asking to take away Job’s health. Satan expected Job to curse God, but Job again proved him wrong. He held on to God. He was faithful.

This story begins with Job’s faithfulness, but it ends with God’s.

Everything in between is about the difficult and beautiful dance between creature and Creator. Job and God are in this together. They are not adversaries, though, at times, they may feel that way.

Intimacy is not based on things going our way—any married person can testify to that. An intimate relationship is about togetherness. It is the central theme to traditional vows: for better or for worse, till death do us part.  

Job and God experienced this dance of togetherness throughout Job’s difficult story. His friends, as well as Satan, tempted Job to abandon the dance. They questioned God’s care for Job (Job 4:18–19, 5:1). They accused Job of bringing his losses and pain upon himself (Job 11:4–8). But in the end, Job discovered the truth, and the Lord demonstrated His faithfulness to His servant.

Life is hard. Things rarely go the way we expect. Sadness, difficulty, and disappointment are a ready part of each day, but the Lord is faithful through it all. And He calls us to be faithful. Our reward is not ease of circumstance but a relationship of intimacy. God desires that we have constant communication with Him to persevere and gain perspective in the process.

We are dance partners with God, just like Job. We have the opportunity to explore the difficult challenge of intimacy alongside the Creator of the cosmos.

Lord, I want our relationship to be one of intimacy, not superficial. Please strengthen my faith to know You better and be as faithful to You as Your servant Job.