Job was blameless, a man of complete integrity, who feared God and stayed away from evil. He had been blessed with 10 children, large amounts of livestock, and many servants. In fact, he was the richest person in his community! His children liked having parties together in their homes, so Job, being the upright father he was, would offer burnt offerings for each of his children in case they had sinned against God. You could say he had a really good and comfortable life. That is until he didn’t.

Satan questioned Job’s motives, saying that Job was only faithful to God because of God’s blessing and protection upon him. God sees our hearts, so he knew Job’s motives were pure and upright. Therefore, God allowed Job to go through some really tough situations. From one day to the next, Job had lost everything! His livestock, his children, his servants… it was all gone. We see his grief in Job 1:20, but in his grief he still worshipped God. He recognized that all he had been given in life had come from the Lord. Therefore, he trusted in God’s control over what was happening at that moment.

Everyone in his community, including his friends, assumed he had sinned, which would explain his great suffering, but that was not the case at all. The only thing that Job repents of in Job 42 is demanding an explanation from God. He was human, and just as we often question the “why” behind painful circumstances in our life, so did Job. However, although his life was miserable, that did not change the fact that God remained in control. When Job’s wife and friends offered him poor advice, he did not listen because one thing was clear to him… he knew his Redeemer lived! His God was alive and well, and one day, when all the suffering was over, God would make things clear.

There is so much in life that we do not understand. We live in a broken, sin-struck world that desperately needs Jesus. But even when things seem so unclear, and our suffering seems unwarranted, we can trust that our Redeemer lives. One day he will return for his children and take away all the suffering and pain. We can trust in God’s control and draw closer to him when we don’t understand.

Suggested prayer: Dear God, you feed the sparrows and clothe the lilies, therefore I know that you will care for me even in my darkest hour. Help me trust in your control over my life and anything that happens in it. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. In Jesus’ name, amen.   

1. Job 19:25 (NLT).

Today’s Encounter was written by: Crystal B.