"There was once a man named Job who lived in the land of Uz." ((Job 1:1 NLT)
I can’t hardly believe I’m in Job again. It makes sense: an annual Bible reading plan will inevitably get a girl into these pages every three hundred and some days or so, but it feels like Job has been chasing me since childhood. Every time I flip thorough these familiar passages, I wonder what more I might glean. I’m endlessly amazed by the educational opportunities in this ancient text.
It’s notable that Job’s location and timing are intentionally unspecific. He is a type of us all: living out a construct of God that isn’t quite accurate. Tragedy interrupts this construct. Why do bad things happen to good people? This wrestle is as old as time itself. And still, unsolvable. The story of Job has unfolded en masse since our exile from Eden; each of us attempting to make sense of the divine amidst the mess of humanity. When we wrestle rightly, we learn to wade through disaster and loss by focusing on God’s majesty and scope, trusting in His goodness above our understanding.
"When these celebrations ended – sometimes after several days – Job would purify his children. He would get up early in the morning and offer a burnt offering for each of them." (Job 1:5 NLT)
Job lived on the spiritual offensive. He assumed his kids had sinned. Not because they were bad kids, but because they were human. Job offered sacrifices on their behalf. He understood enough about God’s righteousness to know that human flesh offered it. Job was the kind of man who practiced regular repentance.
How far removed we are from this practice! We actually assume we haven’t offended God. We buy the lie that we have nothing to confess. Not Job, he was proactive in his faith, in his acknowledgement of sin and in his attempt at atonement. Unfortunately, such radical faith brings undesired attention. Turns out, the enemy is always on patrol: looking for opportunity. Scripture tells us as much.
"Satan answered the Lord, "I have been patrolling the earth, watching everything that is going on." Then the Lord asked Satan, "Have you noticed my servant Job?" (Job 1:7-8a NLT)
Despite the messaging of a popular t-shirt, God does not have favorites. He’s a good parent who’s heard bleeds equally for each of His children. He seems especially proud of Job, though. Why? God delights in obedience. And Job was living his life with a high commitment to obedience.
"He fears God and stays away from evil." (Job 1:8b NLT)
There’s a tough lesson here. While joyful obedience delights the Father, it enrages the enemy. I’ve experienced this in my own life: the more I give myself over to God’s instructions, the greater the opposition I experience from the downstairs team. I look at the life of Christ and I see the same implications. As He grew in obedience to the Father, the forces of hell increased against Him.
Here’s the catch: we are going to experience the enemy’s presence in our story either way. He’s just a whole lot more subtle when we’re living life for ourselves, ignorant of or resistant to God’s commands. He doesn’t have to make a big fuss because we’re already under his influence. A life of unrighteousness is still subject to the enemy, we’re just asleep to his tactics until it’s too late.
However, when we actively choose God and embrace His commands, we become awake and aware. We may very well experience the fury of hell this side of death, but we also know the delight of our father and that felt love eclipses all fear.
"We know how much God loves us, and we have put our trust in His love. God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them. And as we live in God, our love grows more perfect. So we will not be afraid on the day of judgement, but we can face Him with confidence because we live like Jesus here in this world. Such love has no fear, because perfect love expels all fear. If we are afraid, it is for fear of punishment, and this shows that we have not fully experienced His perfect love." (1 John 4:16-18 NLT)
We grow in our understanding of God’s love as we do, fear of the enemy lessens. This is a good thing, as his tenacity and violence against us increases. Even in the crush of his unwelcome attention, we learn to take a long view of our life, steadily more certain of the reality unfolding.
Whenever I am remotely tempted to consider a course of action other than complete surrender and adherence to my Creator, I recall the words of Peter after a hard teaching from Jesus. Others had had walked away from His challenging counsel, and Jesus turned to ask His twelve: are you leaving also?
Simon Peter replied, "Lord, to whom would we go? You have the words that give eternal life. We believe, and we know You are the Holy One of God." (John 6:69-69 NLT)
The enemy may offer us an easier existence, but he cannot offer us the life we are seeking. God alone can grant us eternity in His family.
Lord, today we see the cost of adhering to Your commands more closely. As we devote our lives to worship, pray and the Word, the enemy increases his attacks. We experience his onslaught. Now we can identify You amidst it. We are encouraged by Job and by Jesus: two men intent on pleasing the Father. The ends justify the means. We maintain: heaven will make amends for it all. Help us stay the course and finish strong. We long to delight You as we delight in You. Have Your way in our story, even when it costs us everything. Amen.