In all of this, Job did not sin by blaming God.
Job 1:22
Observation:
Job is a very wealthy man. But more importantly: he is also a righteous man with complete integrity. Money and wealth are powerful idols, and we are easily tempted by them. But not so Job: he did not let his wealth compromise his integrity. Why? Because he feared God, which means that his heart was not set on his wealth but on Almighty God. But then, suddenly, everything is taken from Job: not only his wealth but also his health and family. How would I react in such a situation? Here the reaction of Job: “In all of this, Job did not sin by blaming God” (v. 22). Job`s faith in God did get badly shaken, as he could not understand the reason why all these bad things did happen to him. Was God not unjust to treat him this way? But in the end Job did chose to trust God even though God didn`t give him a good explanation for his suffering. An important message of the book of Job is that “God is God, and we are not”! The example of Job is challenging us to keep trusting God even though we don`t understand why this or that is happening to us. What I find also beautiful is, that while Job struggles to trust God, God has complete confidence in Job. Satan is accusing Job and slandering his character by saying that Job doesn`t truly love God and is only interested in is own profit. In some ways, the fact that God gives Job into Satan`s hands is to defend Job against these accusations of Satan. While Satan does accuse us, God does trust and defend us. God not only defended Job against Satan, but also against his friends who did claim that Job did face this hardship because of his own sin.
Application:
When bad things happen to us, we naturally want to blame somebody: often somebody else, sometimes also ourselves and not seldom even God. But the book of Job is challenging us to trust in God`s sovereignty and goodness even though we can`t understand and explain everything. As Job, we struggle to trust God. And that`s OK! But once we arrive at being able to trust God, even though we don`t understand everything, His peace will fill our hearts. And we will experience, as Job, that God himself defends us and is in our suffering on our side. Because of the suffering of Jesus on the cross, we can even have more confidence that God is with us, especially when we suffer.
Prayer
God, thank you that you are 100% trustworthy. Strengthen my faith! Help me to trust you especially also in situations in which I can`t see you and where I feel what is happening is unfair and not just. Help me to love You for who You are and not only for the many blessings You have given to me. Amen.
