Whenever we give examples of Godly faith and resilience, Job is always on that list. Job was a wealthy man in the East in the days before Abraham. He was well respected because of his wealth and wisdom (Job 29). On top of all that, he feared God. Now, Satan, in a conversation with God, dared God to remove His hand on Job and see if Job would remain faithful to Him. He went through the most difficult situations life could throw at one person at once. We all know what happened afterward and how that story ended.
One thing that strikes me when I read Job’s story is his steadfast belief in God. In all the discourses he had with his friends, Job never accused Satan of afflicting him. In fact, Job didn’t accuse God of afflicting him either. He was just a broken man looking for answers to his plight. Unfortunately, his friends kept insisting that Job had done something wrong which he hadn’t confessed, hence his suffering. Three lessons I pick from Job’s attitude:
Bad things can happen to righteous people too.
Job was a righteous man, always offering sacrifices for himself and his family. He did that in case any of his children had sinned, afraid that the Almighty God might strike them if they didn’t make those sacrifices. So, when unfortunate events hit him back to back, he wondered where he had gone wrong. In his mind, bad things shouldn’t happen to him because he was always doing the right thing. However, his friends felt that despite his public righteousness, he had secret sins which he was being punished for.
It may not always be the case that you’re doing something bad. Sometimes, you’re at the wrong place at the wrong time. Other times too, what happens is for your learning. Be like Job: worship your Maker and keep moving.
That God allowed something bad to happen doesn’t mean He orchestrated it.
Job knew God as a good God. He knew that God had helped him to acquire all he had. Satan knew that God was protecting Job as well, and that was why he asked God to remove His protection from Job. God, who knows the end from the beginning, permitted Satan to touch Job and his possessions but not Job’s life and his wife (Job 1:10-12). All the time that Job was suffering, God was there. Does that mean God is insensitive? No. He knows the deposits He had made in Job and was waiting for the curtains to close.
In the same way, good circumstances may turn sour and you’ll wonder where our ever-loving and merciful God is, and why He’s punishing you that way. Know that you’re not being punished; you’re winning every day. God will not let you go through fire which He knows will kill you. You may come out with scars, but those scars will teach you to extend the same comfort to others when they go through a similar situation.
Keep your focus on God, not Satan – he’s already defeated.
Satan is flattered by all the attention we give him. If Job had attributed his suffering to Satan, he would have been right – but his focus would have shifted from God and His sufficiency to Satan. Even in the dirt, Job had a winner’s mentality; he knew God would vindicate him. He didn’t curse Satan, neither did he curse God or blame his wife for witchcraft. In all Job’s rants, he kept his focus on the goodness of God he had seen in times past, and the fact that God was capable of coming through for him even at that moment.
When we go through difficult times, what do we think? How do we think? Job had the above mentality, a winner’s mindset which didn’t allow him to wallow in his misery. Learn to ignore Satan. Even if you know for sure that he’s responsible for what you’re going through, don’t focus on him; you won’t find solutions. Rather, shift your focus to the ever-loving God who saw the end of the matter with you as victorious. Remember, you are more than a conqueror (Romans 8:37). Shalom.
