FoundationsSample

The story of Job starts by setting up the good man he is. If we were lining up the people of the world in order of who is doing best, Job would be right at the front. Not only is he wealthy, not only does he have a big family, but he's also a good man, faithful to God, just like we saw with Joseph. That's why what happens in the rest of the story might seem so surprising to us.

We tend to think that good things should happen to good people and bad things should happen to bad people. But the world doesn't always work that way. Job was the best there was, and yet his life became very difficult. The question we have to ask is this: what can we learn about how God views our circumstances in Job's story? Maybe God doesn't view circumstances as good or bad--maybe he views them as opportunities.

Think it Over: What does it change for you to think God sees everything as an opportunity, the good stuff and the bad?