Job 1-3, Psalm 139

Job was a good and faithful man who lived long ago in the land of Uz, probably around the time of Abraham. He loved God, helped people, and avoided doing wrong. He had a big family and lots of animals, showing that he was both kind and wealthy.

In Job 1, we witness a conversation in heaven, Satan told God that Job only loved Him because of his easy life. So, God allowed Satan to test Job by taking away everything, his animals, servants, and even his children, but Satan was not allowed to hurt Job himself. Even after all these terrible losses, Job didn’t blame God. Instead, he said, “The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away. Blessed be the name of the Lord.” This reminds us that things perceived as bad can happen even when we do nothing wrong. We can choose to trust God when life feels confusing and hard.

In Job 2, after Job passed the first test, Satan asked God for permission to hurt Job’s body, saying he would stop trusting God if he was in pain. God agreed but said Job’s life must be spared. Job became covered in painful sores from head to toe. He sat in ashes, scraping himself with broken pottery. His wife told him to give up and curse God, but Job had no intention of doing that.

Three friends of Job’s closest friends, Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar, came to visit, but they were so shocked by Job’s suffering that they sat in silence for seven days. As Job’s life seems to continue to spiral down a negative path, Job still chooses to remain faithful and trust God, even though he does not totally understand.

After being quiet for a long time, Job finally spoke. He was so sad and in so much pain that he wished he had never been born. He didn’t curse God, but he did ask why life felt so hard. Job 3 shows that even faithful people can feel overwhelmed. God doesn’t get angry when we bring Him our honest feelings.

Psalm 139 reminds us God knows everything about us. You can’t go anywhere to escape Him, and that’s a good thing! The comfort of knowing we are never alone and you are truly loved.