Lessons from the Book of JOB
The Story of Job goes something like this: Satan and the angels come before GOD and GOD says to Satan have you considered my servant Job - he is a man beyond reproach, righteous, he fears God and shuns evil. Satan responds yes but he’s like that for a reason - because you have put a hedge of protection around him and blessed him. Let me have at him - and he’ll surely curse you to your face. And so the wager begins - God gives Satan permission to torture Job to prove that Job won’t curse God even though hard times.
Lessons Five: Job Wanted God More than Anything
Ultimately Job wanted God more than anything.
“I know that you can do all things;
no purpose of yours can be thwarted.
You asked, ‘Who is this that obscures my plans without knowledge?’
Surely I spoke of things I did not understand,
things too wonderful for me to know.
“You said, ‘Listen now, and I will speak;
I will question you,
and you shall answer me.’
My ears had heard of you
but now my eyes have seen you.
Therefore I hate myself.”
It was communion with God that Job wanted most of all. You can sense his relief after Job is challenged by God.
“Surely I spoke of things I did not understand,
things too wonderful for me to know.
““You said, ‘Listen now, and I will speak;
I will question you,
and you shall answer me.’
My ears had heard of you
but now my eyes have seen you.
Therefore I hate myself.””
We all have a hierarchy of values and that which is at the top of that hierarchy of values will serve as your God. It'll determine how we organise our lives and our emotions will be predominantly governed by your God. You can see how Job’s emotions change when God speaks - My ears had heard of you - but now my eyes have seen you. Therefore I hate myself
May we strive to be more like Job - that though the storms my come and the wind may blow, it doesn’t matter because we have built our lives on the rock.
One of the main themes of Job is obviously: Bad things do happen to good people. There’s another complex argument being formed here. Can man love God for simply who he is? Satan said basically every being has his own interests at heart - you torture him enough and he will curse you to your face. And how do we find this out? Job proved that God is enough. That no matter what happens - no matter what hell we find ourselves in - God is enough. Is God enough for you? When the world turns against you, when tragedy strikes. Is God enough in your life?