The book of Job is nothing less than a tale of someone who survives a series of trials and pitfalls, but still remains faithful to God. Job was blessed by God during the first part of his life; Scripture says he was considered righteous and blameless. But as the story goes, one day the devil came to test him. In order to do so, Satan had to ask permission from the Lord to be able to strike Job with various kinds of plagues and illnesses. Everything from bad luck, to boils on his skin!
People often look to this book of the Bible to help explain tragedy and suffering, and it is a good place to start. You see, Job did not deserve any of the things that happened to him - at least not from a behavioral perspective. Scripture says that he did what was right in the eyes of God. So as such, this account can also help address the issue of when bad things happen to good people. Job was a "good person" by every human account.
What has always fascinated me about this story however, is the fact that God actually takes the time to speak with Job in a one-on-one way. He doesn't use signs or wonders this time; He simply has a conversation. And Job makes the mistake early on, of calling God out for all of the struggles that he is going through. This is understandable - wouldn't you and I do the same?
Once God answers back however, Job changes his tune rather quickly. It's not every day that the Father of Lights responds to a frail and imperfect human being. After listening to God remind him who is actually in charge, Job says something interesting. Job 42:5 states: "My ears had heard of you [God] but now my eyes have seen you."
It's a short verse, but also a powerful one. Once Job became acquainted with the real God, his perspective changed. And I think that is a problem that many people struggle with today. We may know about God through other peoples' stories and testimony ... but we haven't met the real Lord for ourselves. Therefore, God can remain an academic creation or a concept, rather than a real being. When this happens, it opens up a host of problems as it relates to our understanding of what His reality means for our lives. After all, why be obedient if God is just a theory?
I believe this is why some people become atheists or agnostics. They have heard about God, but never met Him for themselves (and on His terms). They have never fallen at the foot of the cross and asked for forgiveness. Never accepted Christ into their hearts and ached for that connection. In short, they don't have a full understanding of who the God of the Bible really is.
To combat this phenomenon, we must be vigilant in our study when it comes to spiritual matters. We need to keep Scripture in front of us, so that it can edge out the distractions of this world. For example, if we don't know that the Bible says not to love money, it would be easy to become obsessed with wealth. And in fact, that is what we find when we look around at many countries today. Peoples' comfort is a retirement account, and their god is a nice house and ornate furniture. Creature comforts and felt needs have replaced the real God.
This is the veil that covers the face of those who do not yet know Jesus. They are guided by status, ego, and power; truly lost spiritually. I know this language sounds harsh, but think for a moment how far God has brought you in your own life. If you are a believer, then you understand that the "old you" is different than the new you in many different ways. Christ gives us a new heart and a new mission in life. We can now glorify, evangelize, and live for Him. My ears had heard of you Lord, but now I actually know you.
Once Job makes this connection between the textbook version of God and the real one, he apologizes for his arrogance. In fact, he goes so far as to say, "Therefore I despise myself and repent in dust and ashes." (Job 42:6). This is quite a change from the way Job was talking down to God only moments earlier.
I think we need to strive to stay in right relationship with the real God; the God of Abraham and Jacob. The Scriptural God of the Bible. And the only way to do this successfully is to continue studying His Word, and to attend a faithful Bible believing church. Otherwise, the temptation will always be to substitute something else for the real thing. Some type of make-shift, fictional god who meets our needs but never requires us to do anything.
The good news is that He is always there, waiting for a connection with us. He may not need us in the same way that we need Him, but He wants us. It is always better to be wanted than needed anyway. We don't deserve this great mercy, but I think we should accept it as a gift. The sooner we strike up an authentic relationship with the Lord, the faster we can begin living a life of abundance and joy. This is what He has always wanted for us anyway.
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