September 13, 2019

As we spend time in the book of Job, my fear is that it is too easy to treat Job as a “story” instead of a reality. Job was a real man, a blameless man, a man who had a wife, kids, livestock, servants, land, and more and in a moment he lost everything and was left with a choice. This makes this account of Job that much more heavy to our hearts because for many of us the book of Job and specifically Job 1:13-22 hits way too close to home. We may have not had everything suddenly stripped from our lives such as Job did with his family, land, servants, and livestock… but many of us have felt as if our life has fallen a part in a moment.

Think back to the lowest part in your life. The part that still makes your stomach curl. The part that you still don’t have an answer or understand why it happened. Think back to that. Think back to the emotional, physical, relational, and spiritual toll that it took on your life. How did you respond? What choice did you make?

Now put yourself in Job’s shoes and try to understand this real man of Scripture. He doesn’t know about the conversation that was just had in heaven (v. 6-12). Everything seems normal and good to him in his life. In a moment everything changed. Too many of us know what that feels like. In the matter of 4 conversations Job lost everything (v. 13-19). He lost his livestock. He lost his family. He lost his land. He lost his servants. So, Job arose and worshipped.

So, Job arose and worshipped. This man of God understood that God and His faithfulness was bigger than his situation. He understood that he deserved nothing but God deserves total, unadulterated worship. If we are honest, this seems like such a crazy response to us. Many times, myself included, we have not made this choice but made the choice to run from God in these times. This, if we really think about it, stems from our view of God. We must see God as Job did:

• Sovereign Ruler
• Holy
• Good
• Loving
• Faithful
• Worthy
• Trustworthy
• Worthy of Fear and Worship

Job had a heavenly perspective. He feared God. He worshipped God no matter the circumstance. He understood that this life was temporary, that God was good and that He was worthy to be praised. And “In all of this Job did not sin or charge God with wrong.” (v.22)

Job had a heavenly perspective but this did not make worship any less of a choice. Job, in this tragic time still made a choice to fix his eyes on his God when he did not understand and worship Him. I pray this is how we respond, not only when things are good but also when we can’t see the light at the end of the tunnel. 

Questions:

1. In hard times, do you have a hard time worshipping God? Why?
2. How can you choose to worship God in hard times?
3. What did you learn most from Job’s response?

By: Nick Parsons — Pastoral Ministry Associate – College