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Job is a delightful story filled with action! In this story, there’s a great meeting in Heaven. There’s the Holy God, angels, a good guy whose name is Job, and his family. Of course, every great story has to have a villain who antagonizes, causes trouble and turmoil for the good guy.
As with any great story, there are great characters and a great plot. This story opens up describing Job’s bountiful and obedient life. Job’s story is jam-packed with blessings and favor from God, with riches and honor. On the other hand, this great story is also filled with great sadness, terrible sickness, agonizing pain, loneliness, loss, and even death.
In your Quiet Time, read the story of Job. It’s a real page turner!
One day the members of the heavenly court came to present themselves before the LORD, and the Accuser, Satan, came with them. “Where have you come from?” the LORD asked Satan. Satan answered the LORD, “I have been patrolling the earth, watching everything that’s going on.”
Then the LORD asked Satan, “Have you noticed my servant Job? He is the finest man in all the earth. He is blameless-a man of complete integrity. He fears God and stays away from evil.”
Satan replied to the LORD, “Yes, but Job has good reason to fear God. You have always put a wall of protection around him and his home and his property. You have made him prosper in everything he does. Look how rich he is! But reach out and take away everything he has, and he will surely curse you to your face!”
“All right, you may test him,” the LORD said to Satan. “Do whatever you want with everything he possesses, but don’t harm him physically.” So Satan left the LORD’s presence.”
(Job 1:6-12, NLT)
Job’s story – a true story indeed – offers awesome principles to the Believer. Below are a few Biblical truths we can pull out from today’s passage.
God pours out His favor and places a hedge of protection around those who reverence (fear) Him, stay away from evil, live a life of integrity, and a life of worship. God’s favor on Job made him the richest man in Uz (Job 1:3b; Ps. 1:1-3).
Satan cannot penetrate God’s hedge of protection (Job 1:9-11).
Satan goes to and fro seeking whom he may devour (Job 1:7; 1 Pet.5:8). And he wants to devour you.
Satan recognizes the favor of the Lord that rests upon you (Job 1:8-11).
Satan cannot come near you unless he asks permission from God. He cannot test you without God authorization (Job 1:8-11).
Satan wants to separate you from the Lord (Job 1:8-11; Luke 22:31).
Sometimes, God test Believers and, sometimes, God allows Satan to cause havoc in a Believer’s life (Job 1:8; Ps. 11:4-5).
God has confidence in you, just as He had confidence in Job. After the testing, God will allow you to come out as pure gold (Job 23:10; Ps. 11:5; Ps. 66:10-12)!
God allows trouble, adversities, and hardship to fall on the just and the unjust (Job 1:1-22; Matt. 5:45).
With all the testing that Job went through, the good news is, in the end, he passed the test! As a reward, God gave Job double for his trouble (Job 42:10). Hallelujah!
Dear friends, don’t be surprised at the fiery trials you are going through, as if something strange were happening to you. Instead, be very glad-for these trials make you partners with Christ in his suffering, so that you will have the wonderful joy of seeing his glory when it is revealed to all the world. (1 Pet.4:12-13, NLT)
It’s Monday…..Already! My sister, our challenge for today is this: Live under the umbrella of God’s favor by living a life of integrity. Reverence God, worship Him, and run from evil. Like Job, when trouble comes our way, may we be able to pass the test!
Having faith in God, we can say, “But he knows where I am going. And when he tests me, I will come out as pure as gold!” (Job 23:10, NLT)
LET’S WALK IN FREEDOM TOGETHER & IMPACT THE WORLD!
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QUIET TIME
During your quiet time, meditate on today’s scriptures. Be motivated to pursue your dreams and make no excuses about it!