My mind is being blown right now with the things I didn't notice in Job before.
As we know, the fallen angels and Satan go before God. I've always thought that Satan asked to test Job but actually God offered him up. God asked Satan if he had noticed Job and pointed out how blameless he is. Satan scoffs and assures God that Job is only faithful because of the many ways that God has blessed him. So they agree that Satan can do anything except touch his body in an attempt to prove God wrong, so Satan thinks.
Satan takes everything away and yet Job does not curse God, as his wife encourages him to do. Satan goes back to God and God again, offers Job for more trials which would include his health. Just not unto death.
Job still does not curse God but sits in silence. His friends hear about his trouble and come to sit with him. They couldn't even recognize him because of the sores that covered his body. They all sat silently for 7 days. That is the kind of friend I hope for, and the friend I hope to be. (More on this in the next post).
This whole part of God offering Job up has really made me struggle. So I have been meditating on it for quite a while.
Some of my initial thoughts are "why?" Job was obedient. He was godly. He was faithful. He offered up daily sacrifices "just incase" his children sinned. He feared God. The scriptures make that pretty clear.
I admit that when I have gone though some struggles I have had those same questions for God. I've begged for answers, telling God that my desire is to please Him! All we want is His glory! Why do we always need to deal with hard things? We are trying!!!
The last major time was when our 5 week old sweet G was hospitalized with RSV and ended up have to be intubated to save his life. All we wanted to do was obey and believe that children are a gift. So many people just have a baby with no problems. Not us. Four hard HG pregnancies, a baby lost to HG, 4 more hard morning sickness pregnancies, 7 c -sections. I just didn't understand why one thing about it could not be easy!
While G was in the hospital I had so much time. To think, to pray and to be in His word. Peace is the word that the Lord kept speaking to me, right out of the story of Gideon in Judges chapters 6-8. The Lord is peace. It was the beginning of my deeper understanding of this.
God chose Gideon, the least of his tribe, to fight with what seemed unbelievable odds, to tear down the idols in the land and bring glory to God.
Ok, so that takes me back to questioning. In Jobs life God allowed testing and lots of wrestling, which produced faith. With Gideon, there was a testing and wrestling which also produced faith. In both situations God receives all the glory.
I think it was during this time that I heard someone say "God will do what brings Him the most glory." When you are in a life or death situation that isn't really comforting. I didn't want God to get the most glory from my sons death.
Another person I have thought of during all of this is the blind man in John chapter 9. They asked Jesus if his parents had sinned to cause the mans blindness. Jesus said that he was blind so that the works of God might be displayed through him. This man did nothing to deserve this. But God chose to use him with the goal of bringing glory to His own name.
The sovereignty of God is revealed through these people. God knew the heart of Job. God knew that he would be found faithful. God knew that while he may wrestle that Job would never turn his back on God or let go of God.
Honestly, I am still seeing the pieces of these stories come together to help me get glimpses of the character of God.
He is sovereign.
God will do what will bring Himself the most glory.
Though He slay me, yet will I trust in Him.
Job 13:15
