December 5

JOB

-Job 1:8 states, … The Lord said unto Satan, Have you considered My servant Job, … Well … Have YOU considered the story of Job? There is much that we can learn from his story. This story shows us Who God is and who man is. It also shows us who Satan is. It gives us a sneak peek into the spirit world.

-The story of Job could be looked at as a parable of God’s dealings with the whole creation. We must see ourselves as Job. We must also see that God is the One Who initiated the testing of Job. Finally, we must see that the testing of Job was for a specific purpose. It was to cause his latter end to be greater than his former.

-Notice Who was responsible for bringing all the evil upon Job. IT WAS THE LORD HIMSELF! THE LORD SAID UNTO SATAN, HAVE YOU CONSIDERED MY SERVANT JOB, … As well, read Job 42:11. It speaks of … ALL THE EVIL THAT THE LORD HAD BROUGHT UPON JOB … It is imperative that we understand that GOD IS IN CONTROL OF EVERYTHING! GOD CREATED GOOD AND EVIL ( AND IS IN CHARGE OF IT )! Most Christians think that God is fighting against Satan, not realizing that God created evil for a purpose. Once you understand that God is sovereign, you will mature tremendously in the Kingdom of God. We must grasp and understand that the story of Job parallels the story of the entire creation. The Lord has subjected the creation to vanity, exposing it to good and evil. This is done for the purpose of dealing with us. God uses good and evil to cause us to learn of Him. As well, He uses good and evil to chastise and correct us. The Lord has turned Satan loose on us, bringing evil on us. WHY? The answer is to be found in Job 42:1-12.

-Job 42:1-12 states, … Then Job answered the LORD, and said, I know that You can do every thing, and that no thought can be withheld from You. Who is he that hides counsel without knowledge? therefore have I uttered that I understood not; things too wonderful for me, which I knew not. Hear, I beseech You, and I will speak: I will demand of You, and declare Yourself unto me. I have heard of You by the hearing of the ear: but now my eye sees You. Wherefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes. And it was so, that after the LORD had spoken these words unto Job, the LORD said to Eliphaz the Temanite, My wrath is kindled against you, and against your two friends: for you have not spoken of Me the thing that is right, as My servant Job has. Therefore take unto you now seven bullocks and seven rams, and go to My servant Job, and offer up for yourselves a burnt offering; and My servant Job shall pray for you: for him will I accept: lest I deal with you after your folly, in that you have not spoken of Me the thing which is right, like My servant Job. So Eliphaz the Temanite and Bildad the Shuhite and Zophar the Naamathite went, and did according as the LORD commanded them: the LORD also accepted Job. And the LORD turned the captivity of Job, when he prayed for his friends: also the LORD gave Job twice as much as he had before. Then came there unto him all his brethren, and all his sisters, and all they that had been of his acquaintance before, and did eat bread with him in his house: and they bemoaned him, and comforted him over all the evil that the LORD had brought upon him: every man also gave him a piece of money, and every one an earring of gold. So the LORD blessed the latter end of Job more than his beginning: for he had fourteen thousand sheep, and six thousand camels, and a thousand yoke of oxen, and a thousand she asses …

-As we can see, the goal of God for the creation is to cause it to SEE ( UNDERSTAND ) HIM! God is not “out to get us”, but rather, He is using good and evil to bring us to a higher place in Him. The latter end of the creation ( every person and everything ) shall be greater than its beginning.

-TO GOD BE THE GLORY!-