Lessons from Job

“Have you considered my servant Job?” God asked Satan in the presence of angels who had come to present themselves before him. Satan was there too. We are familiar with the trials Job faced as a result of this gathering. There are many lessons we carry from the strength of Job’s faith, but there are other lessons that are not often discussed. From the story of Job we also learn something about Satan, and we learn a lot more about God.

Satan seemed to have joined the gathering of angels as an uninvited guest. “Where did you come from?” God inquired. “From roaming the earth and going back and forth in it,” Satan replied, referencing the havoc his presence brings. Then with angels gathered around him, God delivered the challenge, but there was one rule. “Very well, then, everything he has is in your hands, but on the man himself do not lay a finger.” Satan accepted the charge and he went out from the presence of the Lord. He set about his work expecting agony to drop Job to his knees and for him to blame God for it all.

There is little need to recount the devastating tragedies that befell Job. We remember that he lost his family, his wealth, his friends, and his health; but just as God had expected, he did not lose his faith. The strength of unwavering faith is the lesson we learn from Job, but there are other lessons to take away from the story too.

The story of Job reveals that Satan roams through the earth; we learn that he has access to God; and we learn that he does his work away from the presence of God. And the story teaches that Satan cannot conquer unwavering faith in God.

The story also reveals a lot about God. We learn that He has an open door policy. He is accessible to the angels; and if he allows Satan in his presence then surely He will welcome us there too.

We learn that God allows evil to roam the earth. We know that God provides our many blessings; but we learn that He also allows them to be taken away. But here are the important things. God makes the rules to play by. And just as Jesus was victorious over death after suffering on the cross, in the end God wins.

You are the light of the world,

Richard +

www.reflectingthesavior.org

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