Job 1:9-12 – “So Satan answered the LORD and said, “Does Job fear God for nothing? 10 Have You not 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 You to Your face!” 12 And the LORD said to Satan, “Behold, all that he has is in your power; only do not lay a hand on his person.” So Satan went out from the presence of the LORD.”  NKJV

We do not have the time to fully delve into this most interesting and revealing topic but suffice it to say that when the devil accused God of having a hedge around Job God did not deny it.  The devil declared, “I can’t touch him because you have surrounded him with your presence, power, and protection and not just him but his household and possessions.”  The devil petitioned God to take His hand from Job and allow the devil to get to him and he declared that if Job were not protected, he would lose his faith and reject God.  The insinuation and assertion were that Job, and all mankind serve God based on ‘What’s In It for Me?’

God told the devil, “Behold, all that he has is in your power; only do not lay a hand on his person.”  The implication of that seems to be not that he could not inflict him with physical pain and sickness, but he could not KILL HIM!  The devil’s experiment began, and we have one of the most riveting stories in the entire Bible with what happened to Job, his family, and possessions.  We have the volumes of the physicians of no value, Job’s friends giving him self-righteous counsel and even find Job bordering on self-pity, and self-righteousness until God brings him face to face with Who God Is and Who Job is!  The contrast brought Job to his knees and solidified his faith so that it was now unshakable.

We find Job in the midst of his malady hearing from the one person who should be supportive and standing with him – ‘Curse God and die.’  That from his wife!  She may have spoken out of bitterness at the loss of her children, possessions, and seeing Job suffering and thought it humane to do that but Job refused and set a guard at his mind and mouth so that he would not sin or charge God foolishly.  

I have been guilty of foolishly charging God over His apparent failure to give a positive answer to my prayer by telling Him, “I would not treat my children this way when it was in my power to do for them.”  God let me flounder in that pool of pity and bitterness for a short time then brought me face to face with what Job faced in contrasting Who God Is and Who I Was.  That shattered my argument, brought deep conviction to my heart, and solidified my faith.  I did not know how God was going to work it out, but I knew He had it in control, so I learned in the midst of turmoil to Trust and Relax!

As you go through your day – Trust Him even when you cannot see how He is working or if He is working.  Make it the confidence of your heart that He is the Living God who cannot lie and does not fail.  

May God be with you as you go through your day!