May 3 - Job 1-3
The book of Job is a study of how God works through allowing trials to come in the lives of those He loves, and it is a study of the grief process. These two things are very important, because trials and grief cause people major problems, if they don't understand what is going on. I know Job will be a blessing to you, if you will read it prayerfully.
Job was blameless and upright before God. He feared God and stayed away from evil. God allowed Satan to attack him with very severe trials not because of any sin, but because of His walk with God. God was showing Satan and Job, himself, that Job's faith in God was not because of his blessings from God. It was simply a love relationship with God. When Satan asked the question, " Does Job fear God for nothing?", he was inferring that the main reason Job trusted God was for the blessings. Satan was wrong about Job. When God allowed Satan to take away his possessions and his family, Job still trusted God. Then, when God allowed Satan to take away his health, Job still trusted God from the ash heap. What about you? Do you trust God, because of the benefits or just because He is God?
Once Job lost everything, his wife told him to curse God and die. This statement shows that she was going through the grief process from losing her family and possessions. She was not turning to God in her grief, though. Job did turn to God, but that did not take away his grief. Job still expressed his depression, his questions, and the fact that he could get no rest. These are all phases of the grief process. Believers are not exempt from grief. We are human, and when any human loses something dear to him or her, that person grieves. The difference for the believer is that we can take our grief to the Lord and allow Him to walk us through the process until we come out stronger on the other side. Job's grief was very great, and his walk through it took a long time. As we read, we will see him deal with the grief. Then, we will see God's ultimate answer.
Are you going through the grief process now? Have you been through it before? Maybe, you did not get through it, but you got stuck in the middle of it. I pray that this time of reading Job will give you the help you need to trust God in the face of great grief. That is what God wants for you.
Tomorrow, I intend to read Job 4-7.
Job was blameless and upright before God. He feared God and stayed away from evil. God allowed Satan to attack him with very severe trials not because of any sin, but because of His walk with God. God was showing Satan and Job, himself, that Job's faith in God was not because of his blessings from God. It was simply a love relationship with God. When Satan asked the question, " Does Job fear God for nothing?", he was inferring that the main reason Job trusted God was for the blessings. Satan was wrong about Job. When God allowed Satan to take away his possessions and his family, Job still trusted God. Then, when God allowed Satan to take away his health, Job still trusted God from the ash heap. What about you? Do you trust God, because of the benefits or just because He is God?
Once Job lost everything, his wife told him to curse God and die. This statement shows that she was going through the grief process from losing her family and possessions. She was not turning to God in her grief, though. Job did turn to God, but that did not take away his grief. Job still expressed his depression, his questions, and the fact that he could get no rest. These are all phases of the grief process. Believers are not exempt from grief. We are human, and when any human loses something dear to him or her, that person grieves. The difference for the believer is that we can take our grief to the Lord and allow Him to walk us through the process until we come out stronger on the other side. Job's grief was very great, and his walk through it took a long time. As we read, we will see him deal with the grief. Then, we will see God's ultimate answer.
Are you going through the grief process now? Have you been through it before? Maybe, you did not get through it, but you got stuck in the middle of it. I pray that this time of reading Job will give you the help you need to trust God in the face of great grief. That is what God wants for you.
Tomorrow, I intend to read Job 4-7.