Job was a blameless and upright man, feared God and shunned evil (Job 1:1), and had a custom of ensuring even his own children were right with God – would offer sacrifices for their purification, even for the invisible sins of the heart. “No taking of chances”. (Job 1:4)

When the accuser/Satan blamed Job for no reason to be ruined, he ended up losing everything –  500 oxen, 500 donkeys, 7000 sheep, many servants,3000 camels, seven sons, three daughters and their houses. He was also afflicted with painful sores from head to toe, and his wife gave up on him. (yet he did not sin: Job 2:10)

In his laments, he exclaims! “What I feared has come upon me; what I dreaded has happened to me. I have no peace, no quietness; I have no rest, but only turmoil.” (Job 3:25-26)

We live in a fallen and corrupt world full of many dangers and fears, and Satan accuses us falsely. We all experience some fear of a kind; no wonder God reminds us every day not to fear. Job had such fears that a dreadful day would come, thus wanted to be right always.

Days of evil are bound to happen until we are gloried from this mortal bodies: “Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.” (Ephesians 6:13)

Like Job: “Many are the afflictions of the righteous: BUT the Lord delivereth him out of them all”. (Psalm 34:19). Our present afflictions cannot be compared with the glory awaiting us when Christ comes (Romans 8:18). The whole creation is in suffering, frustrations and groaning, animals included.

Finally, Job exclaimed! “I had only heard about you before, but now I have seen you with my own eyes” (Job 42:5). v12 “So the Lord blessed Job in the second half of his life even more than in the beginning.” Now he had 14,000 sheep, 6,000 camels, 1000 oxen, 1000 donkeys, 7 more sons and 3 more daughters. v16 – He lived for 140 years, and saw four generations of his children and grandchildren.

No matter what, to the righteous, it shall be well with them; for “when the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the LORD shall lift up a standard against him.” (Isaiah 59:19).

By Chaplain Stephen,

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