01/22/18 Worshiping Anyway

READING: Job 1-5

He fell to the ground and worshiped.”

Job 1:20

I don’t understand it. I never have, and I’m not sure I ever will. I want to understand it—and I surely want to follow God as faithfully as the story’s main character did—but I’m not certain I would.

That main character was Job, and his story was a tragic one. God put the bullseye on his back when he brought up his name before Satan. Then, Satan worked to destroy all that Job had, with the exception of Job and his wife. When God also allowed Satan to attack Job himself (but not kill him), the enemy went after Job, too. The man lost all he had except his wife despite the fact that he was “a man of complete integrity, who feared God and turned away from evil” (Job 1:1). It would appear in the world’s eyes that his faithfulness gained him nothing and cost him everything.

That’s not the part of the story that I don’t understand, though. What amazes me is how Job responded to his tragedies. Twice, the scriptures record his response with words that may be few, but that are packed with obedience and trust:

  • “He fell to the ground and worshiped . . . Throughout all this Job did not sin or blame God for anything.” (Job 1:20, 22)
  • “Throughout all this Job did not sin in what he said” (Job 2:10)

His world fell apart, yet he still worshiped his God. Job did not blame God, nor did he say anything evil against Him. I fear that I, however, would have succumbed to cynicism and blame—and that’s why this story is amazing to me. We turn to Job for comfort and faith not because he worshiped God on the mountaintop, but because he worshiped Him when tragedy after tragedy hammered him. He stood with God when others (including his wife) would not have. Sometimes, the brightest witnesses for God are those whose lives shine against the backdrop of a dark, confusing, heart-rending life.

ACTION STEPS: 

  • Pray for someone whose life seems to be a continual mess.
  • If you’re in a spiritual valley that likely hinders your witness, press beyond the issues. Be obedient to God.

PRAYER: “Father, I don’t know if I could have been as faithful as Job. Grant me that kind of trust."

TOMORROW’S READING: Job 6-9

Leave a Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.