By Dean Kelly

I wish I could handle things like Job did. This man recorded in the Bible book bearing his name probably lived sometime between the flood of Genesis and the time of Abraham. 

He was one of, if not the wealthiest man of his area. The Bible records the events that led to him losing everything in one day, none of it his own fault. He lost all of his animals, which were many, and all of his children – in one day.

The Bible records his struggles with those losses, as well as with severe physical discomfort. All of that was made worse by “friends” who blamed him for his problems, and a wife who said, “Just curse God and die!” Job’s emotions ran from “I wish I had never been born” to questioning why God allowed all of this to happen to him. 

His initial reaction to all the losses which he suffered, as recorded in chapter 1, tells us what we need to know about Job, and why God spoke of him as blameless and upright, and as one who feared Him and shunned evil.

Job, when he heard of the losses, mourned (tore clothes, shaved head) and fell down and worshiped God. He further stated, “Blessed be the name of the Lord.” The Bible says, “In all of this Job did not sin nor charge God with wrong” (Job 1:22). 

Is our initial reaction to things that go wrong to worship God, and to say, “Blessed be the name of the Lord?” Or do we become sullen and at best ignore God, or at worst curse Him for our troubles? 

May we be more like Job. Remember we have an ally that he did not have at that time, Jesus Christ. We can deal with the problems of life from the shadow of His cross, if we will only come to Him. Then, like Job, our story will end on a happy note, ultimately in heaven one day.

Dean Kelly is minister at Highland Home Church of Christ.