The Story of Job: Faith Under Trial

Job, a prosperous wealthy man of impeccable moral character was a man with whom God had proved to be still His own, no matter how hard his trials were. Satan challenged Job’s goodness, proposing to God to test him since he is only good because of God’s protection. God did agree and removed Job’s protection. Satan removed Job’s wealth, children and health so he would curse God. Despite his extremely difficult situation, Job did not curse God, but rather cursed the day of his birth. Albeit he protested his plight and sought for an explanation with his 3 friends, he never accused God for the injustice. God then reply to Job with these famous words: “Brace yourself like a man. I will question you and you will answer.” Job was overwhelmed and said “I am unworthy – how can I reply to you? I put my hand over my mouth.” Then Job’s trial was over.  He is restored to health and gained more than what he lost in possessions.  He lived for another 140 years.

Learning from Job’s experience

Many people are maybe wealthy, but most of them are not godly. Likewise, there are people who suffered much from scarcity and sickness, they blame and sometimes curse God for whatever happened to them.  Job’s story helps righteous people to learn to trust God when they go through traumatic experiences, while waiting for Gods resolution for their problems.

Job proved to Satan that not all Christians, stripped of comfortable things, would curse God. Job had shown that his character is not that weak. Later, his three friends visited, comforted and lamented with him. They discussed his calamities and sufferings, not knowing he was put under trial. They were certain that God punished Job for committing a sin, which he vehemently denied.

Many chapters of the book of Job tell us of the wrong accusations of Job’s friends and Job’s many denials. Job enumerated his complaints of life’s inequities and unfairness. Elihu, one of Job’s younger friends recognized Job’s perspective distorted. He asked Job, “Do you think this is right? Do you say, “my righteousness is more than God’s?” (Job 35:2).

Things Job failed to see

Job, so confident of his righteousness and innocence, claimed that God was simply not treating him fairly. For this reason, Job missed the chance to learn the highly-valuable lesson from his trials. Instead of letting God mold him and his patience, he objected on God’s unresponsiveness and failure to acknowledge his being righteous.

Job later realized that he was so blinded by his over confidence that he failed to see God’s fairness… for that he abhorred himself and repented in dust and ashes. (Job 42:3-6).

Our current situation

No matter how severe the pain is, we should never think that God does not listen or does not care. God wants us to learn beyond what we can presently see. We also learned from Job’s story the following lessons: God can love a wealthy person (we thought He cannot), we can be stripped off our wealth anytime to put our strength of faith under trial, it is possible to surmount even the most terrible test and that God is always there with us though He might be intentionally silent sometimes.

King David’s excellent advice is: “Wait on the LORD; be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart; wait, I say, on the LORD!” (Psalm 27:14).

17 Comments

  1. redrockwolf said:

    I’ve heard, all my life “You reap what you sow.” All I’ve done is help others. Then, since the beginning of this year, my income tax check was held, so I couldn’t get bills caught up. I lost my car and my job, at the same time. Stray animals in my neighborhood brought fleas and the mange into my yard, then into my home.I don’t qualify for government medical assistance because I’m not disabled. So I have no money to combat the plagues that have hit my home. I’m now covered in sores from the mites that cause the mange. (I was told it couldn’t be transferred to humans.) My home is infested with fleas that I can’t get rid of. I have no money, and no way to get medical assistance. Yet all those I’ve asked to help me have turned away–telling me I’m being punished by God for something I must have done. NO ONE will help me, except to say they’ll take my daughter away. I’ve been suffering, slowly getting worse, since the beginning of this year. Now my body is covered with sore that itch and burn so much I can’t sleep. I’m weak and disoriented from lack of sleep and the effects of this rash or hives or whatever you call it. Yet no one will help me. I cry out to God, and the conditions keep getting worse. Is the lesson here that I’m being punished for being a compassionate, kindhearted and generous person? All those that I helped have turned their backs on me. I’ve tried and tried to figure out what I might have done to bring this on me. The story of Job keeps coming back to me. But I don’t live in his day, and I’m not as righteous as he was. How much patience must I have? I fight to hang on to my faith in God, but it fades and flows.

    November 2, 2010
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    • Lisa said:

      How are you doing today?

      December 18, 2014
      Reply
    • Franklin Elliott said:

      I know your trail is over

      March 22, 2015
      Reply
  2. melodykeogh said:

    Wow, it was a while ago when you posted this but I just want to say, I am where you were and feeling very much unloved and rejected by God. It is extremely troubling as like you, I have tried and failed to find someone to talk to, someone who will really listen, someone who will explain how Christ is in the midst of this with me. I have thoughts of God rejecting me…and I know I believe in Him, for my answer to myself, when this pain is unbearable is…yes, it is unbearable because I don’t feel Him and this and only this reminds me, that my faith is alive, in the midst of my confusion and my doubts. I have found comfort in the book of Job…because I don’t feel alone and though nothing is solved, as I see it through my eyes, I realise that Job did not have the end of the story, as we do. In the midst of his anguish, he was unaware that God was going to answer him, he was unaware of God being aware of his predicaments…we, have that knowledge because we read it through to it’s outcome, but Job, as I am today, was totally unaware. So, I find comfort in Job, that even a more righteous man, a more deserving man, felt as humanly as I do. I am glad I searched for a site where I could see Job’s story outside of my own head, and I thankyou so deeply for sharing your story here.

    July 24, 2011
    Reply
    • BC said:

      Agreed.. I have faced a few years of the same.

      On a Christian radio show the other day, thry reminded us that Job didn’t say “where are you Lord?”, he asked “are you with me, Lord?” A bit different, as it indicated that he understood God was there. Sometimes I feel as if I have been cursed! I know God is there, though, as did Job.

      Be well. God bless you all!

      December 23, 2016
      Reply
  3. Judith A. Aparri said:

    @redrockwolf: You don’t need to be as righteous as Job to duplicate his fate. And who knows, it might be a great blessing then. Even if you feel for being punished of good wrongdoings, you know God is impressed with good works. I do relate with Job’s sufferings too but that would require another story. When we suffer, pls remember that life on earth is temporary; so our sufferings are temporary too. As King David said: “I am here on earth for just a little while.” (Psalm 114:19). Please hold on to the good deeds. It always works! @jerseydan: Thank you for dropping by.

    December 7, 2011
    Reply
  4. said:

    myself find comfort in the story of job. It is almost easier to curse our Lord for not provding us for the things we need for our comfort to move on in life. It is however important to understand the meaning of the message. Now I’m not the wisest women in the world, I’ve had my dark moments in life but I always see the light in the end of each tunnel. My faith is always ever present and I know we must not lose our everlasting hope.
    Judith commented and quoted from psalm 117 we’re only for a short while which means we have to make the most out of life.
    I carry psalm 27 on my phone for strength and salvationgot. I’m a mother of three young kids and we’re a one income family. We live humble but I do remind my children everyday to give thanks for the basic needs we already have in life. While there is life we must never lose our hope. We must help ourselves before we can help others. It all starts with our healing from within by learning to forgive those who may have done us wrong.
    I pray that all is well around me and that the Lord puts his hand over me and anybody who is reading this words. May we continue to be blessed by his everlasting Love.
    Amen

    October 25, 2014
    Reply
    • BC said:

      Amen! Thank you!

      December 23, 2016
      Reply
  5. mike said:

    Sometimes I feel like job I lost my 18 year old son this year my only child 8 months later I lost my mother my faith has been tested for sure all I’ve got to say is cherish your family every day you never no when there gone

    December 9, 2014
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    • BC said:

      Im so sorry; those loses are really tough. I hope you are feeling more at peace today!

      Blessings!

      December 23, 2016
      Reply
  6. Trae Soderberg said:

    I love this story may God bless us all

    December 19, 2014
    Reply
  7. Deborah Stevens said:

    I feel for each & every one of you. Just recently went thru my own traumatic experience which caused me to have PTS symptoms. Wrote a long 4 & a half page letter to the place where it took place. Felt like I was overcoming it, until I realized in a month I would have to return to the same place, same room to have another PTS symptoms rise up within me & a fight to stop hold back the urge to cry. Was reminded how Job was tried, & how even before I went through this, God let me know I would be taking a stand for something. Why & what I had no idea until after it happened. But the outcome for Job was greater than what he lost. I believe God wants all of us to remember how faithful He is, & that even when we don’t sense His presence, He is STILL there, watching over us, hedging us in, as His Word promises. Someday, we will see just how much He truly has kept His word. For now, we must walk in a place of trust, & just be still & know that He is God.

    January 14, 2015
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    • BC said:

      Last line…one of my favorites!

      I think you are right, in your reply. May God ever bless you. Prayers over all of us, for resolution.

      December 23, 2016
      Reply
  8. Willow said:

    There was absolutely NO reason for God to do to Job what he did. It says MULTIPLE times in the story that Job was one of the most upright devout servants and believers of god. He didn’t ever curse or blame god but asked him to explain the reason behind the awfulness happening to him. If god is omniscient then he already knew what was going to happen, and had no lesson to teach satan and Job or even a reason to humor Satan’s curiosity in a physical way because he could have just told him the outcome that he already KNEW. God goes to see Job after he begs to be told what his sin was, and God NEVER even answers this question or tells Job the TRUTH about why he was harmed. God then pridefully boasts (pride is a sin by the way) about his creation achievements and why he is great and that Job has no right to ask for an explanation. There is no lesson here, not a helpful or positive lesson anyway. God knew everything that was going to happen. If God doesn’t owe Job an explanation then he doesn’t owe satan a show either. So, God did all of this on purpose for two reasons. 1. He purposely intended to cause Job harm for his own ends and 2. So that he could boast and be prideful. I would also like to point out that giving Job new stuff, servants, and family does not replace the first ones he lost nor does it erase the physical, psychological, and emotional pain he went through. God could have just resurrected his family and things, but that still wouldn’t have been enough even then. Imagine if these exact things happened to you. would you just be OK after loosing your entire family even if you were given a new one? Ludicrous. The loss of your family would destroy you and cause you harm for the rest of your life. This was not a test, it was blatant and outright evil with the reason given that God has the power to do whatever he wants to do for no reason whatsoever other than to satisfy his own selfish desires. These are the behaviors of human beings, not an omniscient 100% good and loving creator.

    July 8, 2015
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    • Joan Hayward, PhD Ministry of Christian Counseling said:

      Hold on there horsey! Whoa! Let’s start over, ok? First of all, the author of the Book of Job is unknown. Job is an extremely difficult book to translate. The author is believed to be an Israelite who like many who have attempted to translate this book could very likely have omitted lines he did not understand. If you will notice also, the author is not objective in his writing as he subjectively supports pain and suffering. He is influenced by the beliefs of Theologians during this time frame. The belief was that God created pain and suffering to bring us closer to Him. In today’s world we know better. So I say “Poppycock!” and “Balderdash!.” However, the lesson here is good. God does not create or cause pain and suffering. ‘Life’ does that. The lesson here is that when these horrors befall us do we blame God? – or do we hold on to our faith and know that He is with us….”Yea, though I walk through the shadow of the valley of….” Yes. The author, with his good intent did, it seems, put a great deal of ‘spin’ on this story; but he was only following theological belief systems during his era. Jesus knew that man would always suffer by man’s hand. When gathering men to become His Apostles He warned them of such suffering. Most of the men left after they heard what could happen to them. Only 12 men remained. Jesus wanted them to know that He would always be with them. Remember, it is not of this world that we should seek, but to shine in God’s grace to be with Him in the everlasting life.

      October 26, 2015
      Reply
  9. Mark said:

    The story of job is nothing but God being prideful against satan. If God truely loved Job he would have told satan to get thee behind him since this would be another temptation but he didn’t all he did was allow
    Satan to destroy his childs life because of pride.

    January 30, 2016
    Reply
  10. BC said:

    Oh, good grief, another one! The Lord has ssid,any times, that we should call on Him, believe in Him, worship Him. None of us will know all of the story, even our own until, perhaps, we reach heaven.

    Be well. Blessings!

    December 23, 2016
    Reply

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