June 30, 2021: Our Perception of God Through Our Trials of Life Can Be Misunderstood So Many Times.

The Book of Job is a well-known book of the Old Testament. The story begins with God and Satan discussing the character of Job. God asks Satan "From where do you come"? And Satan tell God: "From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking back and forth on it.” (Job 1: 6-7)

Then God tells Satan if he has considered His servant Job, who is a righteous and upright man. Satan tells God how can he consider Job if God has a "hedge of protection" around him? So, God gives Satan permission that he can test Job and do whatever he wishes, but he cannot take Job's life. (Job 1:12-22)

Satan proceeds with first taking all of Job's possessions by creating a great fire to fall from heaven and raiders to come and take everything Job owns. "Then suddenly a great wind came from across the wilderness and struck the four corners of the house, and it fell on the young people, and they are dead; and I alone have escaped to tell you!”. (Job 1: 19)

Satan later proceeds to cause boils to cover Job's body from head to toe to further provoke Job against God, but Job never turns his back against God. Job acknowledges that all he has is from God and God has the right to take it away as well.

Job 1: 20

Naked I came from my mother’s womb,

And naked shall I return there.

The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away;

Blessed be the name of the Lord.”

Further on in the story, friends of Job come to try and comfort him, but all they do is make matters worse by trying to confront Job of his possible sinful life, not knowing that it was Satan all along causing all the turmoil. Job finally gives in to his hurt and frustration of his life and turns to verbalizing what he feels God must be doing to him.

Job 19: 8-11

He has fenced up my way, so that I cannot pass;

And He has set darkness in my paths. 9 He has stripped me of my glory,

And taken the crown from my head. 10 He breaks me down on every side,

And I am gone; My hope He has uprooted like a tree.

11 He has also kindled His wrath against me, And He counts me as one of His enemies.

Can you relate to Job? Do you feel at times in your life that God has turned His back on you? God loves all His children and would never cause anything to happen to us that would purposely hurt us. He may allow certain trials to come into our lives to cause us to either turn to Him, to bring us to "absolute surrender" to Him or to bring about a change in our lives that in leading us down a road of disaster.

PERSONNAL COMMENT:

Are you going through a trail in your life currently? Are you blaming God or have turned your back on Him? Turn now and surrender the circumstances to Him and realize that He genuinely loves you and wants only the best for you.