BY PASTOR DAVID ODOM
As I just recently went through a small trial of my own, I went back and reflected on the story of Job to try to find some encouragement for those of us who are trying to face the daily storms that life throws at us. The very first thing that I came to was the conversation that took place between Satan and the Lord in the first chapter of the book of Job, what at first just seems to be a conversation between two people discussing the life of Job and all his possessions. However, very quickly we see it turns out that Satan comes to this conversation to ask for permission to take care of the little scheme that he has come up with to destroy Job’s life. We see that Satan asks for permission to act upon this scheme. We can almost see him in a classroom with his hand raised to ask for permission on what he is allowed to do. With that being said, this story is to encourage you that no matter what takes place in our life, good or bad, that it has to go through the hands of an almighty God first. Our God is in control of everything that happens. Not even Satan himself has the power to touch our life. He can tempt us and try us and put up some roadblocks for us along the way. You can also read in the book of Mark, chapter one, that even Jesus has control of not only the winds and seas, but the unclean spirits know who he is and they fear and they tremble and that they have to flee at his command. What a great and mighty God that we serve! We should never fear or doubt God, knowing that everything we go through passes through his hands first and that he has our best interest in mind.
The Devil tried everything that he could to discourage Job. He began with taking his possessions from him and moving quickly on to destroying his health. Satan thought surely that Job was just serving God because of all of his possessions and because God had his hand on everything that Job did. But Satan found out real quick that Job had an unwavering faith. Job had a faith that no matter what his wife or his friends said, he was gonna serve God regardless. I think many Christians today are “fair-weather Christians.” We tend to serve God while he is pouring his blessings out on us and things are going good. But, at the first sight of trouble we flee from the very thing and turn our back on the very God that gave us life.
We not only see that Job’s faith was like no other, but we also find that he loved God more than all the possessions that God had given him. I think many times we put our faith and trust in the things of this world. We put more trust in our money, careers, and all our possessions, than the Mighty God that we serve. Somehow, we think that all the things that we gather in this life will make us happy. Job knew that God was the giver and taker of life as well as all his possessions. We have to be careful of the life we build up on this earth. Because the more possessions we gain and the bigger and better things that we seek after in this life, will soon overtake the love that we have for our creator. It will then be harder and harder to lay them all down and pick up our cross and follow Jesus. We will be like the rich young ruler. He wanted to follow God, but his love of his money was stronger than his love for God. He couldn’t let go of his possessions. His treasures on earth outweighed his treasures in Heaven.
So, while the story of Job was one of great trials and tribulations, it was one that ended up to be one of the greatest stories of faith. Job was confident that God would prevail, and God would restore him. Then we read in the 42nd chapter of Job that God restored him and blessed him more in the latter days than he did in the beginning. Job was confident in the God that he served. Are you confident in the God that you serve? That no matter the situation, God will prevail? If not, I hope this story will remind you to look back on God’s perfect track record throughout the Bible and throughout your life. God will never fail us. We may not understand his ways, but his ways are perfect. I hope this story encourages you in your trial! God bless!
(The Solution Column is provided by Pastor Brandon Young of Harmony Free Will Baptist Church, Hampton, and his associate, David Odom.)