First of all, Job lost all his earthly goods. The first chapter tells us that Job was a very wealthy man, so wealthy that the Bible tells us he was the richest man in the East (Job 1:3)! But the attack of his enemies, the Sabeans and the Chaldeans, along with the destruction of the remainder of his property and servants due to fire being called down from heaven by Satan, Job was left with nothing (Job 1:15-17). Even more terrible than that, God allowed Satan to crush his children to death by using a strong wind to destroy the home in which they had gathered (Job 1:18-19). Job's response: "Then Job arose, and rent his mantle, and shaved his head, and fell down upon the ground, and worshipped, and said, Naked came I out of my mother's womb, and naked shall I return thither: the LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD. In all this Job sinned not, nor charged God foolishly" (Job 1:20-22).
When that did not get Job to curse God, as Satan had expected it to do, he was given permission by God to cause Job's body to become covered with boils; Job, being in agony, scraped his wounded body with a broken piece of pottery, trying to ease his pain (Job 2:6-8). And even when his wife, who also lost all her children and possessions, rebuked Job for maintaining his innocence before God, and told Job just give up, curse God, and die (Job. 2:9)! Job's response: "But he said unto her, Thou speakest as one of the foolish women speaketh. What? Shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil? In all this did not Job sin with his lips" (Job 2:10).
Today, I sit here at my computer, sharing my situation that seems overwhelming. To begin with, I have cataracts, and I am slowly loosing my eyesight. I have several vertebrae that are damaged in my spine from my neck to my lumbar region. I cannot bend or twist my body. I have Congestive Heart Failure, which has causes blood to pool in my lower limbs, a condition which is both painful, and it constantly itches. I have severe bone spurs in both feet, which hurt when I walk or stand. And even with all these things, I am so much better off than was Job! I have a wife who is willing to dress my legs, and is patient with my moaning and groaning. I have family; I am not wealthy by American standards, but compared to the rest of humanity, I am rich, very blessed with a home, cars, etc.!
But there is one area about which I am very concerned! Just as Job was worried about his children and their relationship with the Lord (Job 1:5), I am as well! I am not judging as to whether or not they are born again, because it is impossible to know that (Christians sin, and non-believers do good). But I am concerned that their lifestyles do not seem to have Christ on "the thrones of their hearts!" I am not saying one must go to church, witness, tithe, etc., in order to be saved, but I do believe born again believers want to fellowship with Christians in a local church, that they live and share their faith in Christ so that others are drawn to Him, and they willingly support the work of the ministry (a tithe is probably not enough in this day and age)! I am not going to be here much longer - either the Lord will "put me out of my misery," or He will come gather God's children in the Rapture - either way, my time is short! I want more than anything else, for my children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren, to love God with all their hearts, and to love others, especially other believers!
My prayer, like Job's, is that they will put the Lord first in every situation!
I want them to hear Him say, "Well done, good and faithful servant!"
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