Job 1:9-11 – “Then Satan answered the LORD, “Does Job fear God for nothing? 10 “Hast Thou not made a hedge about him and his house and all that he has, on every side? Thou hast blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land. 11 “But put forth Thy hand now and touch all that he has; he will surely curse Thee to Thy face.”  NASB

Is what us, Roy?  Is the charge the devil made against Job reflective who us today?  Is it reflective of the mentality of Christians in 2021?  On one hand, the charge against Job is a compliment and on the other reflects the belief of the devil that man is in it for what he can get, just like he is.

Job, as revealed in the chapters and verses of the Book of Job, was a man that reverenced God.  Satan charged that Job was only doing it for what God had blessed him with and the protection of God.  My question is whether the charge of the devil against God could be applied to us and be correct. 

Let me say at the beginning, the devil is not omniscient.  He is not a 2^nd god he is a created being that fell in rebellion.  He is a liar and the father of lies.  What he said regarding Job or any of us for that matter was either based on evidence that he believed he saw or was presumptive about human nature.  Job proved the devil a liar and wrong.

The question is, “How many of us truly reverence God when our faith is tested, and unexpected and unexplained hardships come into our lives?”  I cannot overemphasize that the devil is not omniscient.  I contend that he does not know how we are going to respond before we respond.  He presumes and has a mountain of evidence and examples to base his presumption upon but omniscient, he is not!  He has witnessed the failure of humans in handling hardship to make a good and even educated guess, but he does not know beforehand.

In times of physical, moral, or economic crisis how many draw, back, and become sullen in those times?  How many put on a good front, say the right religious words, and pretend but inside they are raging with anger, defeat, and disappointment?  How many have hidden or latent resentment toward God because of the tragedy and the perception that God let us down?

The devil insisted that Job reverenced God because of God’s blessings.  I believe he was basing that assumption or presumption upon the millions of times he had witnessed human reaction when bad things came their way. 

I contend that the extent to which we truly revere or fear, worship, and praise God in the midst of unbearable difficulty or loss is the extent to which we truly reverence God when things are going well.  I suggest that if we are in it for the blessings, we are only serving God for the loaves and fishes rather than because of Who He is and His incredible love.  Are we fair-weather Christians or rock solid in our commitment and abandonment in Him? 

Learning to truly praise God in the midst of trial reflects a closeness to Him and the depth of our relationship.  If we make God above all else, and if our greatest desire is to be obedient to Him and love Him with our whole body, soul, and spirit regardless of the circumstances we make a liar out of the devil.

God never denied that He had a hedge of protection around Job.  He expressed His confidence in Job and held him up as an example of a person who would stay true in all things.  The devil’s contention that Job was only serving for the blessings was thwarted and, in the end, Job came forth as fine gold and received a double portion.  We are reminded in Galatians 6:9 – “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.”  WE MUST NOT QUIT!

I pray that each of us will set our hearts to not be the kind of people the devil accused Job of being and be those who “in everything give thanks.”  May we become people who make “count it all joy when difficult times comes our way” knowing that those trials give God the opportunity and platform to demonstrate His grace, goodness, mercy, and strength.            

God bless you as you demonstrate to the devil and the world that God is your source and you seek Him above everything ALL THE TIME!   Have a Great Day