In Everything Give Praise

Last night I started reading Job.  I could barely get through reading through chapter 1!  I've read the book so many times before but this time it became very real.

Imagine for a moment.  There is a man named Job who was a God fearing man.  He lived a good life...a life that pleased God.  He had a big family.  He was wealthy. And the Bible even says he was the most influential man in the Middle East!  Job had it all, and I am sure life was amazing for him! 

Then one day Satan comes before God.  (What a conversation that would have been!  Satan, who was cast from heaven and who will spend eternity in hell before the Almighty God who created Heaven and earth...Wow!)  So imagine this conversation and God begins to tell Satan all about how amazing Job is!  Satan comes back at God's remarks and says that if Job had reason to he would curse God.  So God basically gives Satan access to every thing in Job's life...except his very life. 

Already this story is pretty crazy!  But a day came when absolutely everything in Job's life changed...

A messenger came to say all Job's livestock was taken away and all his servants massacred.  Before the messenger was finished speaking another messenger came to say all Job's flocks and servants were burned to death.  Again while the messenger is still speaking a third messenger arrived saying Job's camels and servants (he must have had so many servants!) were massacred.  Finally a fourth messenger arrived to say the home all his children were in collapsed and all his children had been killed. 

WOW!  Imagine what a bad day Job would have been having!  To hear all that one after another is crazy!  I don't know how I would react to that but here is Job's reaction:  (vs 20-22)  "Job stood up, tore his robe in grief, and shaved his head.  Then he fell to the ground and worshipped.  He said, "Naked I came from my mother, and naked I will return.  The Lord has given, and the Lord has taken away!  May the name of the Lord be praised."  Through all this Job did not sin or blame God for doing anything wrong." 

I can't even imagine a response like that!  Everything Job had was taken away, even his own children, yet he praised God! 

Maybe this passage really spoke me this time around because life hasn't been all wonderful lately.  I've briefly mentioned in previous posts that May was a rough month for me.  It felt like everything wrong that could happen all happened one week after the next.  It's taken all summer for me to feel like I can manage the pain from May.  There's still so much to work through.  Tears are still shed.  But in the midst of the pain and confusion I need to remember Job.  I need to remember to give praise to God even in this season of deep pain.  I need to keep believing that God is the very same today as He was in Job's life.

And as long as we have breath there is time for redemption.  Time for the people in my life who are so far from God right now to turn around and come home.