Can we, and will we, trust God regardless of our circumstances? In the story of Job, Satan believes the answer is no. Satan says to God: “Does Job fear God for no reason? (Job 1:9)” In other words: sure, Job is a blameless, upright man; but he only serves you because you bless him. He goes on to assert, “stretch out your hand and touch all that he has, and he will curse you to your face. (1:11)” Consider the scope of what follows as Job: loses his wealth and children (1:13-14); contracts a disease (2:8-10); becomes socially outcast (2:7-8); experiences spiritual silence (23:8,9,15); and suffers emotional trauma (7:4; 9:20,28; 19:13-19). He suffers materially, relationally, physically, socially, spiritually, and emotionally; in other words, the key components of human life. Yet, “In all this Job did not sin or charge God with wrong. (1:22)” His wife even challenged him to “Curse God and die(2:9)”; to which Job replied, “Shall we receive good from God, and not evil?”
Something to Understand:
Suffering is hard, and we are not immune to it as Christians. The Book of Job effectively undermines any wrong-headed assumptions that one can assume a direct link in all cases between actions and consequences. When coming upon a man blind from birth, Jesus’ disciples asked presumptuously: “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents?” Jesus answered, “It was not that this man sinned, or his parents, but that the works of God might be displayed in him. (John 9:2-3)” As the readers of Job we have an objective viewpoint that Job and his friends do not have as he endures great suffering. One of the first casualties in the midst of suffering is godly perspective. Even though we are subject to suffering, we do not suffer without purpose or hope! The next time we are tempted to focus only upon circumstances, consider what works of God may be on display through your trial.