Is God cruel? Does He play games with our lives and hearts? Not at all! God knew Job’s character and was pleased with him. Job testified that, as God is Creator of the universe, everything we have comes from God, including our very lives. Job could even say that it was o.k. if God took it all away. (Job 1:21). Job kept the first and greatest commandment – to love YHWH your God with all your heart (Deuteronomy 6:5, Matthew 22:37). God knew that he would. 

Not that we should be eager for such testing, but we should seek to be right with God so that we are ready. God held Job in high esteem after his trials. God even referred to Job in the same breath as heroes of the faith Noah and Daniel (Ezekiel 14:14 and 20). Can we believe that our trust in God, as shown by being faithful in hard times, will also be counted as righteousness? 

God could see the end of Job’s trials from the beginning, but Job could not. We also may not see the purpose or benefit of difficulty when we are in the middle of it. How then can we stand? The purpose of his trials was apparently unknown to Job. However, the ultimate, eternal truth was in his heart, and Job could set his hope on that. “For I know that my Redeemer lives, and at the last he will stand upon the earth. And after my skin has been thus destroyed, yet in my flesh I shall see God, whom I shall see for myself,.” (Job 19:25-27). Indeed, Jesus lives, the Messiah and Redeemer. Whether we die first or Jesus returns first, in the end we will see Him.

Querido Padre Celestial,

Thank You for the example of Job being a man God could trust in an important contest with Satan. I confess I don't long for or hope for the kinds of difficulties and trials involved should my name ever be at the end of a question You ask, “Have you considered my servant …?” Yet, I do long for and hope for You to consider me a blameless and upright servant of Jesus who fears You and turns away from evil. Increase my trust in Jesus. Increase my surrender to Jesus. Disciple me by Your Word and by Your Holy Spirit so that I am fit for whatever is needed to accomplish Your purposes through me, even if it includes a great trial like Job, like Paul, like Stephen, or like Jesus. In the Name of Jesus, I pray. Amen. 

We are to pray when suffering and praise when cheerful (James 5:13). We see examples in the Psalms of David combining such prayers with worship. Listen to the song “Believe” by Blessing Offor. Let it minister to you and see whether you can also sing to Jesus, “What if you know something I don’t? What if You will something I won’t? … will I still believe, believe, believe, believe in Your love?”