The Book of Job delves deeply into this very question. How can we know God is always good? Is He good when the storms rage within our hearts? What about when everything we hold so dear is gone? Loved ones die. Financial disasters arise. There are famines, hurricanes, terrorist attacks, and evil surrounding us. Perhaps we want to run away from the very question because after all we too sometimes wonder. Whether we say it out loud or not. We wonder if God is always good. Then we have the blend between heartache and despair creep into our very spirit and soul. That is the question we face as we explore the life of Job. If God is always good, why did He allow Job to suffer so. Was it good? Deep in the heart of that answer, we find ourselves as well.
The very temptations that Satan placed before Eve was that. He caused Eve first to question God’s goodness. After all, would God not want her to have everything. Was He not keeping the best from her? Then here we have the book of Job. It begins with Job being pronounced a righteous man before God. Indeed, Job even made sacrifices in case one of his children forget to. Was he perfectly righteous though? Were there areas of his heart that did not fully know God as well as he thought he did? So, the question arises. If God is always good, would He not want as a priority for His children to know every aspect of His heart? Knowing that the only absolute joy is the joy found in a relationship with Him, would He not out of love do whatever it takes to help His beloved child find that depth of joy?
But How Joy Out of Anguish?Proof God is always good
Perhaps therein lies the greatest mystery of all. If only we can grasp that and trust God no matter what presents, then we will have gained a glimpse into the Glorious, gracious, loving heart of God. David wrote in Psalm 66:
Make a joyful shout to God, all the earth!
2 Sing out the honor of His name;
Make His praise glorious.
3 Say to God,
“How awesome are Your works!
…
5 Come and see the works of God;
He is awesome in His doing toward the sons of men.
6 He turned the sea into dry land;
They went through the river on foot.
There we will rejoice in Him.
7 He rules by His power forever;
His eyes observe the nations;
Do not let the rebellious exalt themselves. Selah
8 Oh, bless our God, you peoples!
And make the voice of His praise to be heard,
9 Who keeps our soul among the living,
And does not allow our feet to [a]be moved.
10 For You, O God, have tested us;
You have refined us as silver is refined.
11 You brought us into the net;
You laid affliction on our backs.
12 You have caused men to ride over our heads;
We went through fire and through water;
But You brought us out to [b]rich fulfillment.
…
20 Blessed be God,
Who has not turned away my prayer,
Nor His mercy from me!
Or I Peter 4: 1-2,12-14
Therefore, since Christ suffered [a]for us in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same mind, for he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, 2 that he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh for the lusts of men, but for the will of God.
12 Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you; 13 but rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ’s sufferings, that when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy. 14 If you are [e]reproached for the name of Christ, blessed are you, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you.
God is Always Good
As we begin Job, we see a scene played out in which Satan accuses Job of only doing what was right because of all that God gave him. So, the question does arise in our lives as well, “Can I serve God merely for who He is and not merely for the gifts He has bestowed on me or even the future gifts I await? If there were no heaven or hell, would I serve Him because of who He IS.
Theodore H. EPP wrote:
“It is well to note that in the Book of Job which deals with the purpose of suffering of the godly, such suffering is not imposed by a judge for wrongdoing on the part of the individual. Nevertheless, it is suffering allowed to remedy something in the believer’s life. It is not punishment, and yet it is designed to correct wrong. It is not retribution for wrong done, but discipline to refine the life to where the likeness of Christ becomes clear….We do not have to know why trials come. We just have to know that God is wise and knows what He is doing. This is good for the present life and for the life that is to come.”
James 5: (NET) 11 Think of how we regard[m] as blessed those who have endured. You have heard of Job’s endurance and you have seen the Lord’s purpose, that the Lord is full of compassion and mercy.[n]
So, as we go forward in our study of Job, let us consider. What is the Lord’s purpose? And how is that purpose full of compassion and mercy.
JOB 1
1 There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and that man was blameless and upright, and one who feared God and [a]shunned evil.
Was Job perfect? No, but he lived an exemplary life during his day. We will even see further examples of this.
2 And seven sons and three daughters were born to him. 3 Also, his possessions were seven thousand sheep, three thousand camels, five hundred yoke of oxen, five hundred female donkeys, and a very large household, so that this man was the greatest of all the [b]people of the East.
4 And his sons would go and feast in their houses, each on his appointed day, and would send and invite their three sisters to eat and drink with them. 5 So it was, when the days of feasting had run their course, that Job would send and [c]sanctify them, and he would rise early in the morning and offer burnt offerings according to the number of them all. For Job said, “It may be that my sons have sinned and cursed[d] God in their hearts.” Thus Job did regularly.
Job reverently feared God as well, recognizing that the human hearts may have sinned and cursed God in their hearts.
Satan Attacks Job’s Character
6 Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and [e]Satan also came among them. 7 And the Lord said to [f]Satan, “From where do you come?”
So Satan answered the Lord and said, “From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking back and forth on it.”
8 Then the Lord said to Satan, “Have you [g]considered My servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, one who fears God and [h]shuns evil?”
9 So Satan answered the Lord and said, “Does Job fear God for nothing? 10 Have You not [i]made a hedge around him, around his household, and around all that he has on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land. 11 But now, stretch out Your hand and touch all that he has, and he will surely curse[j] You to Your face!”
12 And the Lord said to Satan, “Behold, all that he has is in your [k]power; only do not lay a hand on his person.”
So Satan went out from the presence of the Lord.
What do we realize from this?
- God is Sovereign—Satan cannot usurp power over the Will of God.
- Therefore, in a sense, pain and sorrow comes from God because it is He who permits it—yet there is purpose when He allows it. Like purpose when He allowed His Son to be hung upon the cross.
Job Loses His Property and Children
13 Now there was a day when his sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother’s house; 14 and a messenger came to Job and said, “The oxen were plowing and the donkeys feeding beside them, 15 when the [l]Sabeans [m]raided them and took them away—indeed they have killed the servants with the edge of the sword; and I alone have escaped to tell you!”
16 While he was still speaking, another also came and said, “The fire of God fell from heaven and burned up the sheep and the servants, and [n]consumed them; and I alone have escaped to tell you!”
17 While he was still speaking, another also came and said, “The Chaldeans formed three bands, raided the camels and took them away, yes, and killed the servants with the edge of the sword; and I alone have escaped to tell you!”
18 While he was still speaking, another also came and said, “Your sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother’s house, 19 and suddenly a great wind came from [o]across the wilderness and struck the four corners of the house, and it fell on the young people, and they are dead; and I alone have escaped to tell you!”
Everything he owned was taken away in one day.
How Did Job Respond? Confirming God is Always Good.
20 Then Job arose, tore his robe, and shaved his head; and he fell to the ground and worshiped. 21 And he said:
“Naked I came from my mother’s womb,
And naked shall I return there.
The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away;
Blessed be the name of the Lord.”
22 In all this Job did not sin nor charge God with wrong.
Concluding Thoughts: God is Always Good
It is not my place to question why so much as to trust in God’s wisdom. Throughout the years of my life, so much has happened. Yet, as I look back over the years, I can see clearly God is always good. He has taken the worst tragedies and used them to refine and bless me. I who deserved nothing, have been showered with His kindness. Most of all I have learned to know Him better each day. As such, I have come to realize He is my Joy, Hope and Love. Truly faith is knowing God IS and He rewards those who diligently seek Him. Every tear, sorrow and pain have lead me to this conclusion. As I lay aside all of me, He fills me with Himself. It is for that reason I sing, live, laugh and rejoice. Just to know Him and the power of His might in me.
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Disclosures
©Effie Darlene Barba, 2021
Disclosure of Material Connection: I have not received any compensation for writing this post. Furthermore, I have no material connection to the brands, products, or services that I have mentioned except for my own books. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.
Credits
Theodore H. Epp, Job A Man Tried as Gold, 1967
New King James Version (NKJV)
Photo courtesy of Dawid Zawila on Unsplash.com