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 Job 1:18-20

If you are having a really bad day, I encourage you to read the book of Job.  Just the first chapter will have you thinking that your day is going pretty well.  You see Job was a very righteous man.  He feared God and shunned evil.  He had been blessed with sons, daughters, livestock, and servants.  God was very proud of Job and the life he lived.  Satan approached God one day and they spoke of Job and how he was such a God fearing man and how he stayed away from evil.  Satan told God that Job only feared him because God had blessed him so and put a hedge around him.  He told God that surely Job would curse him if things were not going so well.  God allowed Satan to test Job.

Well in one day, Job loses his children, his livestock, and his servants.  But as you see in this scripture passage, as he receives news of these disasters, he tears his robe in mourning and falls down and worships God.

The Israelites had lived through cycles where they sinned against God and been evil and God had handed them over to their enemies. They would cry out to God, He would hear them and save them.  But poor Job, he had done nothing but fear God and shun evil and he is having a terrible time.  He has basically lost everything except his own life.  But still he worships God.

Now the next day Satan tells God that Job worships God but that he would curse God if only God would bring sickness on him and strike his flesh.  So God allows Satan to strike Job’s flesh and he develops these painful sores from the bottom of his feet to the crown of his head.  I can’t even imagine how miserable Job must have been.  It was so bad that his wife encouraged him to curse God and die.  Job had three friends who came to help by telling him that he must have sinned and that he needs to confess his sin.

You see we know from the Old Testament that we serve a God of justice and we know that God deals with the evil and the wicked.  It makes it easy to assume that if someone is suffering that they have committed a grievous sin for which God is punishing them.  That may not necessarily be the case.  You see when we serve God we are never promised that things will always go well.  We will suffer many trials and tribulations just as Job did.

Now this may cause someone to say “well then, why should I serve God if I am just going to suffer?”  Glad you asked.  See, we are in this for the long haul, just as Job was.  Job had committed to serve God with all he had.  He had committed to be a faithful servant to God.  He wasn’t a fair weather follower, he served God through good times and bad.  And Job’s bad times were the worst of times.  Throughout the book of Job, Job’s friends talk to him about confessing his sin and turning from his sinful behavior.  They are sure that he must have some horrible hidden sin in his life.  They refuse to listen when he tries to tell them that he has no hidden sin to confess.  They just go on and on, but Job refuses to budge. Job also refuses to do something else, he refuses to curse God.  Needless to say, Job is angry at his friends, but instead of cursing them, he prays for them.  In chapter 42 Job prayed for his friends and afterward the Lord not only restored his fortunes but gave him twice as much as he had before.  Verse 12 says that the Lord blessed the latter part of Job’s life more than the former part.

The Bible clearly tells us God punishes disobedience.  It also tells us God rewards faithfulness.  It may not always be so easy to remain faithful but boy is it worth the effort.  Job endured terrible hardship but remained a faithful follower of the Lord God.

If you are having a hard time, remember to stay faithful.  God will reward you for your faithfulness. This may be a test.  Also remember that we all endure seasons of hardships, it’s how we endure them that makes the difference.  I hope for your sake that you endure it well and stand firm in your faith.

Have a great day!