Blame ...

Ever wonder what life would be like if you were asked to give up everything you’ve ever worked for? the money, fame, titles, etc. I sat in my classroom after reading through some of  Job with our professor before learning about posture pondering this very thought.

God was so proud of everything that Job had done for him and his kingdom. It didn’t matter the circumstance that Job was presented with, he was forever obedient to God. After Satan confronted God and pretty much called him out for never putting Job in a situation where he has ever been deprived of anything ... God grants Satan permission to take everything he owned as long as he didn’t lay a hand on him physically.

I wandered off through the reading and could imagine all the times that I am tempted daily and couldn’t help if Satan asked for permission to challenge me and because of God’s faith in me, he would give the devil permission to tempt me. I wonder just how many of those tests I fail daily. 

I’m slowly learning the meaning of hard work and commitment as I wrote about in my last blog and couldn’t help but think that if after I am done with pt school and life happens and I lose everything I’ve worked for ... what would my reaction be? Would I be that person who defied Christ and blame him for letting this happen or would I continue to have faith In my God like Job did? 

“Then Job stood up, tore his robe and shaved his head. He fell to the ground and worshiped, saying Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I will leave this life. The Lord gives, and the Lord takes away. Praise the name of the Lord.”  

Job 1: 20-21 

“Throughout all this Job did not sin or blame God for anything.” 

  Job 1:22

I find it incredibly easy to serve a God when I need him most. If there are times in my life when I feel I  rush to him when I have no other options because I know he will always be there. 

As the story continues in chapter two I got the chills just thinking of how evil Satan is and all the ways he uses people, things, words, and just about anything good or bad to try and get us to stray away from our relationship with God. 

Satan was so convinced that Job would surely sin and curse God’s name if he were to not just take all of his assets that he worked so hard for but to now harm his body and burn his skin with incurable boils. 

When I was younger and my family and I went to the river ... I vividly remember my sister and I walking in the dark back to our campground when she started screaming and crying. After returning to our R.V. we realized that she had stepped on burning hot coals that some camper forgot to pour water over. I can remember the pain and suffering my sister went through during that time and I couldn’t imagine my entire body being covered in boils from the soles of my foot to the top of my head. 

It all comes down to how you serve your God and the reasons why you are serving him. Are you doing it because it’s cool and everyone is doing it? Are you doing it because your wife or significant other want you to? Maybe you are doing it because you are afraid of the thought that heaven and hell are real and you would rather not chance the risk of spending your whole life burning. Or .... do you serve him because you believe that he died for you and living your life for him is the ONLY way you can remotely repay him for giving up his son so you can be forgiven? 

God knows your heart and there is no way of fooling him. I urge you and mostly speaking to myself to cling to him for it’s only his love that can change your heart. 

Love him even when you are going through a tough time ...

“You speak as a foolish woman speaks,” he told her. “Should we accept only good from God and not adversity?” Throughout all this Job did not sin in what he said.” 

Job 2:10