Spend time in prayer and silence with God asking Him to meet with you and speak to you.
Bible Reading
In the land of Uz there lived a man whose name was Job. This man was blameless and upright; he feared God and shunned evil. He had seven sons and three daughters, and he owned seven thousand sheep, three thousand camels, five hundred yoke of oxen and five hundred donkeys, and had a large number of servants. He was the greatest man among all the people of the East.
His sons used to hold feasts in their homes on their birthdays, and they would invite their three sisters to eat and drink with them. When a period of feasting had run its course, Job would make arrangements for them to be purified. Early in the morning he would sacrifice a burnt offering for each of them, thinking, “Perhaps my children have sinned and cursed God in their hearts.” This was Job’s regular custom.
One day the angels came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan also came with them. The LORD said to Satan, “Where have you come from?”
Satan answered the LORD, “From roaming throughout the earth, going back and forth on it.”
Then the LORD said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil.”
“Does Job fear God for nothing?” Satan replied. “Have you not put a hedge around him and his household and everything he has? You have blessed the work of his hands, so that his flocks and herds are spread throughout the land. But now stretch out your hand and strike everything he has, and he will surely curse you to your face.”
The LORD said to Satan, “Very well, then, everything he has is in your power, but on the man himself do not lay a finger.”
Then Satan went out from the presence of the LORD.
One day when Job’s sons and daughters were feasting and drinking wine at the oldest brother’s house, a messenger came to Job and said, “The oxen were plowing and the donkeys were grazing nearby, and the Sabeans attacked and made off with them. They put the servants to the sword, and I am the only one who has escaped to tell you!”
While he was still speaking, another messenger came and said, “The fire of God fell from the heavens and burned up the sheep and the servants, and I am the only one who has escaped to tell you!”
While he was still speaking, another messenger came and said, “The Chaldeans formed three raiding parties and swept down on your camels and made off with them. They put the servants to the sword, and I am the only one who has escaped to tell you!”
While he was still speaking, yet another messenger came and said, “Your sons and daughters were feasting and drinking wine at the oldest brother’s house, when suddenly a mighty wind swept in from the desert and struck the four corners of the house. It collapsed on them and they are dead, and I am the only one who has escaped to tell you!”
At this, Job got up and tore his robe and shaved his head. Then he fell to the ground in worship and said:
“Naked I came from my mother’s womb,
and naked I will depart.
The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away;
may the name of the LORD be praised.”
In all this, Job did not sin by charging God with wrongdoing.
– Job 1:1-22
Devotion
The opening verses of this book give us a good idea of Job’s character. Job was an upright man who loved God and shunned evil. His life was blameless and upright. In verse 6, the scene switches from earth to heaven where a battle takes place between God and Satan. Satan accuses God of overprotecting Job from the harsh consequences of living in the fallen world so, of course, Job loves and praises God. God agrees to allow Satan to reach out and strike Job with hardship that would break even the strongest person by taking away all of his material possessions: his flocks, his servants, and even his children. Even though Job’s understanding of God’s character was that God would reward those who were righteous and not allow them to suffer, Job’s response is to fall to the ground in worship. Job’s understanding of God is also being tested! Despite his confusion, Job does not sin by cursing God.
The Big Question
Like Job, we have all had to face the harsh reality of living in a fallen world. The causes of human suffering become a little less mysterious when we understand that there is an unseen battle taking place in Heaven. How does knowing this help you understand human suffering in general, and help you cope with whatever circumstances you are facing today? The question is: Are you able and willing to praise and worship God even when Satan is unleashing the worst that hell can offer? What have you learned about God from the above scripture?
Conclude your time in prayer and silence reflecting on what you have learned.