Job 1-42
The Story of Job
Week 3 July 29 – August 2, 2019
Monday July 29
Job is Tested & His Friends Answer – Job 1-14
In these first chapters of the book, Job loses every earthly possession, even his children and his own health. Satan wants to make an example out of Job. He wants to show that he only loves the Lord and has faith because God has given him so many blessings. God knows that Job is a man of deep faith and no matter what his circumstances are, Job will not curse God. Unlike some with superficial faith, Job exercises and grows his faith by continuing to trust God and accept whatever comes his way. Job trusted God and even in his grief, he displayed his faith to the world. When things don’t go our way, we have a choice to either turn from God in anger, or take our faith to the next level as Job did. Determine that God has what is best for you in mind and even greater blessings in store. Grieving a loss is healthy, but we don’t have to let that sadness steal our faith in God. The Bible tells us that the devil is always looking for ways to trip us up, that sin is crouching at the door waiting to devour us. When we fight against evil, instead of giving in to despair, we can set our faith on fire and lean into Him. Testing of our faith gives us strength and God will show himself faithful in the end. God had not abandoned Job, Job just couldn’t see the full picture. We don’t always know why something bad happens, but we do know that we can trust in the Lord.
Activity: We can sometimes have moments of doubt when we think about the difficulties in our lives. Maybe you feel like you do have faith, but there is a certain category of your life that you hold back. Is there anything that leaves you feeling like you’re in despair? Decide today that you’re going to trust God. Write your thoughts down in a journal or in a note, and keep that as a reminder that you have taken a stand to trust in the Lord and push your faith to the next level.
With Children: Practice doing trust falls. When you say, “Do you trust me?” your child says, “I trust you!” and falls back into your arms. With younger children you can simply observe the ways that they unswervingly trust you as you pick them up and dance around, or how they hold your hand as you walk them down the stairs. Thank your child for trusting you, and tell them that when they’re falling they can trust God, too! Children have a simple and easy faith in their parents, that is a mirror of the faith we can have in God.
Tuesday July 30
Three Friends Continue to Answer Job – Job 15-31
At first, Job’s friends came and just sat with him quietly during his grief and suffering. In following Jewish traditions, people who have come to comfort those in mourning do not speak until the mourner speaks. When Job’s friends finally did speak, they thought they had a lot of wisdom to offer and continually told Job that his suffering was his own fault. If he would only repent of his sins, they told him, then he would be relieved of his troubles. However, they were wrong, and as well intentioned as their “helpful and wise words” were, they were not the words that Job needed to hear. In fact, God later chastises these friends for their lack of wisdom in the words that they spoke to their friend. Job’s friends wrongly state that those who do good will never have problems like the ones Job had. We cannot always know the reason for a person’s suffering and often when we try to speak about it, we say the wrong thing. Even when a friend questions God or looks for understanding in their suffering, we don’t have to have an answer. The best way we can support them is to just be there for them, be a physical presence with them while they endure. Build them up with scriptures and prayer, be a friend in the tough times, but don’t try to give them an answer for all of their problems. Only God can do that for them.
Activity: We all know someone who is going through their own difficulty today. Perhaps they are struggling with an illness, life is not going the way they had hoped, or they have the pain of watching someone they love have difficulties of their own. Take some time today to reach out to that person and “be there” for them, whether you’re able to see them physically or not. Give them a call on the phone, look up some scriptures to share with them, or write them a card to let them know you’re thinking of them and praying for them. These actions mean so much to a person in pain and doing it once today could start you on a long journey of building them up in faith and encouragement. Be a wise friend today.
With Children: Have your child draw a card for someone who is sick. Help them write a note and a Bible verse on the inside and then place it in the mail. For younger children, you can help them color in a card or picture that is already drawn for them.
Wednesday July 31
A Young Man Answers Job – Job 32-37
Next, a young man named Elihu takes a turn to speak with Job and tries to convince him once again, that his suffering was linked to his sin. We know that Job’s suffering is a test of his faith from Satan, but everyone around Job seems to think that the correct response is to repent and the suffering will stop. Again, we are reminded that we must be careful in how we speak to someone who is in pain. We might think that we have some special wisdom to share, but what we really need to do is point that person to God. In this circumstance, Job was really struggling with why he was suffering and no person could give him the answer. Especially in suffering, no human will be able to give a clear answer to this question of “Why?” Which is why we must call out to God in our pain. Most of all, we must remember that God is powerfully present and he cares! When we trust God and acknowledge that he is in control, our faith is stretched and grown, and God will answer in his perfect timing. God is omnipresent, meaning he is everywhere! You are never alone, even in the deepest hurt and suffering.
Activity: God is with you wherever you may be. Our response to that truth is to acknowledge his presence, and live our lives in a way that recognizes him. Declare God’s presence today with a reminder that he is always with you. Write “God is here” on a sticky note and place it on your desk, your bathroom mirror, or wherever you’re sure to see it several times today. Or use our “God is here” lock-screen on your phone as a reminder every time you check a notification! Thank God for being with you always and for never leaving or forsaking you.
With Children: Play hide-and-seek! As the seeker finds the hider, the seeker can exclaim, “God is in here with you!” With younger children, walk around your house and explain to them that God is in each bedroom, hallway, and every other room in your home. God is outside, he is in the car, at the store, everywhere!
Thursday August 1
God Answers Job – Job 38-41
In the previous chapters, Job had cried out wishing to make his case before God, to prove that he did not deserve this suffering. When the Lord does speak with Job, then Job has nothing to say in the presence of the Holy God. Just like Job, we are people who are incapable of knowing all that God knows. God reminds Job of just how little a person can understand about weather and animals. Even now, our ability to understand and predict the weather is limited! How many times have we prepared for rain and gotten a sunny day? If these earthly things are still a mystery to us, then it is impossible for us to fully comprehend every intention and purpose of God, whose knowledge and understanding is limitless. In the presence of God, Job could not criticize, question, or argue with Him. When things don’t seem to go our way, we have to remember that we are not the ones who decide what is fair and what is unfair. God is not held to a standard of justice, he is the creator justice and has all power to decide what is and what is not correct. Job is described as a righteous and blameless man, there was no sin in his life to cause suffering, and yet he suffered. Because of Jesus, we now have the Holy Spirit with us always and we can approach God in prayer. As you pray to God about your circumstances, make yourself open to the idea that God has a purpose for everything in our lives. We may not understand right away, but at the end of our lives we will be able to look back and watch the beautiful story of faith unfold. Don’t give up, believe that God has what is best in store, and don’t settle for your own version of justice. The creator of justice will execute it perfectly and beautifully!
Activity: Is there a natural phenomena, type of weather, or animal that intrigues you? Go to the library and pick up a book, or search for details online, that will give you more details and understanding of that interest. Praise God for his intricate creation and marvel over the mysteries of the universe!
With Children: Read a book or watch a video about your child’s favorite animal! Talk to your child about how God created every little detail of that animal to make it’s body work perfectly.
Friday August 2
Job is Restored – Job 42
Eventually Job does repent, but it is not over any hidden sin as his friends suggested, it is for his attitude toward God. The book of Job tells us what we already know. We already know that bad things happen in the world. We know that disease and natural disasters strike the saints and the sinners. We know that the wrong actions of one person often effect others around them in painful ways. We know that we live in a fallen world and that the sin and evil in this world has repercussions, which are painful and cause suffering. Just the presence of sin in the world throws off all of creation, causing things like natural disasters and diseases, which do not discriminate. However, God in his infinite love for us, makes a way for us to not only endure these hardships, but to thrive in the midst of them. Even in our suffering, he is making a plan to restore us and return all that has been taken. You just need to do your part, which is to trust in God and live a holy life. Measure yourself life against the justice of the one who created the universe, instead of holding God to your own ideas of fairness. Life is not fair, it can be hard. But when you trust God and give him the power in your life, it becomes unfair in the opposite direction. You are given an unfair advantage over the rest of the world when you have God on your side, orchestrating everything in this world and the next, to ultimately restore you to perfection.
Activity: Sing your favorite song in worship to God today. Whether you sing along with a YouTube video, play the piano, or sing a cappella, and consider the beauty of his rescue.
With Children: Sing a worship song with your kids today, one that gets them excited! It can be a kid song or a more mature song, but make it upbeat and worshipful. Dance and praise the Lord together!
