Sunday, 17 February 2019
TRUSTING GOD THROUGH TESTINGS
CENTRAL TRUTH
God provides grace and strength to sustain us through every trial
MEMORY VERSE: Though he slay me, yet will I hope in him... Job 13:15a.
LESSON OBJECTIVES:
That at the end of this Lesson the student would be able to:
1. Explain the importance of trusting God during difficult times.
2. Depend on God during difficult times.
LESSON TEXT: Job 1:8, 12-19; 13:15-16
Job 1: 8. Then the Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil.” 12. The Lord said to Satan, “Very well, then, everything he has is in your power, but on the man himself do not lay a finger.” Then Satan went out from the presence of the Lord. 13. One day when Job’s sons and daughters were feasting and drinking wine at the oldest brother’s house, 14. a messenger came to Job and said, “The oxen were plowing and the donkeys were grazing nearby, 15. and the Sabeans attacked and made off with them. They put the servants to the sword, and I am the only one who has escaped to tell you!” 16. While he was still speaking, another messenger came and said, “The fire of God fell from the heavens and burned up the sheep and the servants, and I am the only one who has escaped to tell you!” 17. While he was still speaking, another messenger came and said, “The Chaldeans formed three raiding parties and swept down on your camels and made off with them. They put the servants to the sword, and I am the only one who has escaped to tell you!” 18. While he was still speaking, yet another messenger came and said, “Your sons and daughters were feasting and drinking wine at the oldest brother’s house, 19. when suddenly a mighty wind swept in from the desert and struck the four corners of the house. It collapsed on them and they are dead, and I am the only one who has escaped to tell you!”
Job 13: 15. Though he slay me, yet will I hope in him; I will surely defend my ways to his face. 16. Indeed, this will turn out for my deliverance, for no godless person would dare come
LESSON OUTLINE
I. TESTED BY GREAT LOSSES
A. Loss of Family and Property B. Loss of Health
II. TESTED BY JUDGMENTAL COUNSEL
A. Wrong Assumptions
B. Misapplied Wisdom
III. CONFIDENCE IN GOD RETAINED
A. Confident When Facing Death
B. Confident of Vindication
BIBLE EXPOSITION INTRODUCTION Job’s life as described in chapters 1 and 2 of the Book of Job sums up the greatest tragedy he faced in life. In just a few brief moments, Job learned that he had lost his valuable oxen, donkeys and camels in two separate raids by robbers, his sheep from fire, and all his children to a sudden
I. TESTED BY GREAT LOSSES
A. Loss of Family and Property
B. Loss of Health
II. TESTED BY JUDGMEN - TAL COUNSEL
A. Wrong Assumptions
B. Misapplied Wisdom
III. CONFIDENCE IN GOD RETAINED
A. Confident When Facing Death B. Confident of Vindication windstorm. After years of serving God and receiving His blessings, Job’s life turned in a sudden, catastrophic reversal of fortunes. The greatest man of the East became the greatest story of tragedy in the East. How would he respond? Many people serve God as long as it brings tangible benefits. But what will one do when all of the blessings seem to be taken away? Is it still reasonable to serve God when one loses his job, health, family or wealth? How Job faced these questions show how important it is to have a “no-strings attached” faith.
I. TESTED BY GREAT LOSSES
A. Loss of Family and Property – Job 1:6-19 Why did God ask Satan if he had considered His Servant Job (verse 8)? When he appeared with the angels before God, Satan responded to God’s inquiry about where he was coming from by indicating that he had been “going to and fro in the earth” (verse 7). Peter’s statement in 1 Peter 5:8 confirms that Satan roams in search of a prey. How would you describe Job’s spiritual condition before his affliction? Job was “perfect and upright” (Job 1:8). When the word “perfect” is used in the Bible to describe a person’s spiritual state, it is not used in the sense of being sinless. This was expressed in his fear of God and avoidance of evil. Satan responded by pointing out God’s impenetrable hedge around Job that would not allow him access to the man whose piety was well-known (verse 9, 10). Satan also accused Job of serving God only because of the blessings (verse 11). If they were taken away, Satan felt Job would curse God. In response, God removed the hedge, but restricted Satan from touching Job himself (verse 12). Although this may sound strange, Job would suffer because he was a righteous man, selected for an unusual test in a supernatural challenge between God and Satan. With Job’s hedge removed, the adversary came in like a flood, causing a series of catastrophic events in Job’s life. First, Job lost his oxen, donkeys, and their attending servants to a violent act perpetrated by the Sabeans (verses 14, 15).
Next, Job lost his sheep and their attending servants to a natural disaster – “the fire of God” (verse 16). This probably refers to a lightning strike and the ensuing fire. Then, another act of violence by a group of nomadic Chaldeans resulted in the loss of Job’s camels and the death of their attending servants (verse 17). Without time to reflect on the extent of these tragedies, Job immediately met another messenger who had the worst news of all. In a freak, apparently random act of nature, a violent wind levelled the home of Job’s oldest son, killing all Job’s children. The son just happened to be hosting a large feast for all his brothers and sisters that day. With God’s permission, Satan had orchestrated the most severe test of faith imaginable, using things that we easily associate with evil (robbery and murder) and things we associate with God (natural disasters). There would be no neat, simple categories in which Job could place these events. Satan had delivered a forceful series of blows.
B. Loss of Health – Job 2:3-8 What were the limits that God set for Satan’s two tests of Job?
In the first test, Satan was not allowed to touch Job. In the second test, Satan was only prevented from taking Job’s life (Job 2:6). After losing nearly everything he had, Job was undoubtedly in great emotional turmoil and in shock. Yet in spite of Job’s weakened condition, Satan struck again. Satan does not play fair. He will exploit our weaknesses whenever he can. The first time, he attacked everything that surrounded Job. The next time, he attacked Job himself. How can illness affect believers spiritually? There are a wide variety of responses to illness, but illness often makes it very difficult for believers to sustain their own spiritual lives. Facing an illness often takes all of the person’s attention and energy so there is little left to deal with other issues. In those cases, sufferers need encouragement and help to get through an illness. Unfortunately, believers may receive little support during a time of illness, for others may be more concerned with assigning blame than with extending comfort.
“Though He slay me, yet will I hope in Him . . .” (Job 13:15a) The problem is made worse when potential supporters have erroneous beliefs about sickness and suffering. Some believers think that illness and faith cannot coexist in a believer’s life; therefore, they blame the person’s lack of faith as reason for his illness. On the contrary, in Job’s case, his illness was a result of his faith and character. After the initial attack by Satan, God again recommended Job to Satan as a man of impeccable integrity and permitted Satan to test him again. In this way, Job’s experience of suffering challenges those who are quick to point an accusing finger at a
sufferer.
II. TESTED BY JUDGMENTALCOUNSEL
A. Wrong Assumptions – Job 2:9 As important as the support and encouragement of friends is during a time of illness, Job was forced to stand alone through his ordeal. The first person to provide advice after Job became ill was his wife. Her advice was straightforward and blunt: “Curse God, and die” (Job 2:9). This is the only mention of her in the Bible. Although Job stood strong during their trials, his wife succumbed to Satan’s attack, suggesting that Job did the very thing Satan thought Job would do if afflicted: curse God (1:11; 2:5). What is a spouse’s responsibility when his or her partner suffers hardship? It can be devastating for a believer when a spouse, who could be a tower of strength, yields to Satan’s ploys. Job’s wife, broken by the magnitude of her own emotional pain and her husband’s suffering yielded to doubt. The tragedies took their toll on her. She seemed to think her husband somehow brought everything on himself, judging from her questioning of Job’s integrity (verse 9). She was not the only one who made wrong assumptions about Job. His so- called comforters would also assumed that he was guilty of some wrongdoing that resulted in his suffering. What are some typical responses people have toward those who are suffering? Many people do not know what to do or say when they are around someone who has experienced a tragedy or is extremely ill. As a result, they avoid the sufferer altogether. Others feel they have to say something, so they try to explain why the situation occurred. Some visit and offer silent support, such as the way Job’s friends sat silently with him for 7 days before they spoke (2:11-13). It has been suggested this was the only real comfort they provided him. When they spoke, they did more harm than good. B. Misapplied Wisdom – Job 4:1, 8; 8:1, 5, 6, 20; 11:1, 6 What was going on in the minds of Job’s friends as they ministered to him?
After the initial period of silence, Job’s three friends felt they needed to speak. Using the general understanding that God blesses the righteous and punishes the wicked, there was no question in their minds that Job must have done something wrong to deserve these tragedies. As a result, they embarked on a journey to uncover the hidden sin in Job’s life. They thought if Job would repent, his situation would improve. Job’s friends came to him with honest intentions (2:11). They were good men, neither hypocrites nor heretics. However, even good Christian people can be miserable comforters if they mishandle God’s wisdom. Eliphaz appealed to the principle of sowing and reaping (4:8). This is a well-known biblical principle that is applicable to a number of situations. Eliphaz’s mistake was to work backward with the principle: Job is reaping disaster so he must have sown evil. Eliphaz then tried to get Job to repent of the evil he had done to bring disaster into his life. Bildad appealed to the principle of suffering as a result of sin (8:5, 6).
He also worked backward with the principle. Job is suffering, so he must have sinned. He called on Job to plead with God for forgiveness and restoration. This was good advice for most people–but not for Job. He was innocent with respect to his suffering, having done nothing to deserve it. Finally, Zophar appealed for Job to accept godly wisdom instead of maintaining his innocence (11:6). Zophar felt the circumstantial evidence of Job’s incredible suffering presented an airtight case against him. If he would confess to the crimes, Job could get off with a light sentence. They would get a big surprise at the end of the book when God announced the verdict. How can we avoid making the same mistakes that Job’s friends made? Job’s friends did the equivalent of proof-texting the Scripture, using Scripture verses that were not appropriate for Job’s situation. This should cause believers to use caution when ministering to anyone who is suffering. Instead of trying to explain why things are happening to someone, the silent but assuring presence of a
friend will likely be much more valuable.
III. CONFIDENCE IN GOD RETAINED
A. Confident When Facing Death –Job 13:15, 16
How does Job show the importance of being able to stand alone in faith? The dialogue between Job and his friends is painful to read. Their repeated attempts to get him to repent of his sin during a period of incredible sorrow and grief makes it understandable when Job expresses sarcasm (Job 12:22), disappointment (19:21, 22), and defiance (21:3). Many times, people will disappoint us with their actions and words. When he should have received a ministry of comfort from his fellow believers, Job instead got unfounded accusations about hidden sins in his life. If he were going to survive this test of his faith, he would have to do it alone. Fortunately, he was ready. Although he struggled through- out this experience and said some foolish things during his ordeal, Job’s faith and confidence could not be broken by the accusations of his friends. In one of the great confessions of faith in the Bible, Job determined that he would place his hope in God even if God put him to death (Job 13:15). Ultimately, God would take care of the injustices toward Job by bringing him to salvation and deliverance (verse 16), which he seemed to think would occur through his death. Job felt the opportunity to meet God through death would provide him with a long-awaited hearing before God. With enormous pressure on him, Job stood firm in his faith in God with no strings attached.
B. Confident of Vindication – Job 19:23-27
What important theological concept does Job mention in his confession (Job 19:25-27)? Job probably lived about the same time as Abraham, which was early in the progress of revelation and before the Law and Prophets. Yet this ancient man of faith provided another of the great confessions of the Bible. Facing an uncertain future, Job was confident that his living Redeemer would someday vindicate him. Job’s need for a mediator to serve as his defense attorney points to the void that Jesus would later fill when He became our advocate with the Father (1 John 2:1). In addition to a mediator, Job also expressed confidence that death would not mean the end of his existence (verse 26). While Job’s words do not clearly express immortality and resurrection, he clearly sees life beyond the grave. We must remember that Job at this time fully expected to die. But in that day the great Kinsman-Redeemer would stand there with him, in fellowship with him, and freed from the disease that made his friends
Job’s faith developed through many years of service to God. This prepared him for the enormous test he faced. Job’s response proved the adversary wrong: Job’s faith was unconditional, based solely on confidence in God.
In contrast, many people place all of their hopes and aspirations on things such as a job, income level, new home, college degree, relationship, retirement account, or any other number of things that take the place of God. Then when life brings a painful test, the pattern of faithless living that developed over a period of years is too much to overcome in the face of a test. At times, God does allow Satan to assault believers to accomplish His divine purposes. He allowed Job to experience great loss, Peter to be sifted like wheat (Luke 22:31, 32), and Paul to receive an undefined thorn in his flesh (2 Corinthians 12:7-10). God will allow Satan to test believers in modern times as well. None of these great men knew all of the reasons behind their various tests, but they all eventually received a passing grade because of their faith. How well will you do when you are tested?
1. When loss comes, why do you think people tend to want to blame someone or something for it?
2. How can you be a true comforter to someone who is suffering loss?
3. Why would you retain your confidence in God during difficult times?
DAILY BIBLE READING
Mon: God Cares for the Righteous - Psalm 91:1-7.
Tue: God’s Presence in Trouble - Isaiah 43:1-7.
Wed: Confidence in God - Habakkuk 3:17-19.
Thu: Strengthened by God’s Grace - 2 Timothy 2:1-13.
Fri: Rejoicing Though Tried - 1Peter 4:12-19.
Sat: Overcoming Through Faith - 1 John 5:1-5.
________________________________________________________________________________
SOURCE: Assemblies of God Constitution Android App
Tags agss
TRUSTING GOD THROUGH TESTINGS
CENTRAL TRUTH
God provides grace and strength to sustain us through every trial
MEMORY VERSE: Though he slay me, yet will I hope in him... Job 13:15a.
LESSON OBJECTIVES:
That at the end of this Lesson the student would be able to:
1. Explain the importance of trusting God during difficult times.
2. Depend on God during difficult times.
LESSON TEXT: Job 1:8, 12-19; 13:15-16
Job 1: 8. Then the Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil.” 12. The Lord said to Satan, “Very well, then, everything he has is in your power, but on the man himself do not lay a finger.” Then Satan went out from the presence of the Lord. 13. One day when Job’s sons and daughters were feasting and drinking wine at the oldest brother’s house, 14. a messenger came to Job and said, “The oxen were plowing and the donkeys were grazing nearby, 15. and the Sabeans attacked and made off with them. They put the servants to the sword, and I am the only one who has escaped to tell you!” 16. While he was still speaking, another messenger came and said, “The fire of God fell from the heavens and burned up the sheep and the servants, and I am the only one who has escaped to tell you!” 17. While he was still speaking, another messenger came and said, “The Chaldeans formed three raiding parties and swept down on your camels and made off with them. They put the servants to the sword, and I am the only one who has escaped to tell you!” 18. While he was still speaking, yet another messenger came and said, “Your sons and daughters were feasting and drinking wine at the oldest brother’s house, 19. when suddenly a mighty wind swept in from the desert and struck the four corners of the house. It collapsed on them and they are dead, and I am the only one who has escaped to tell you!”
Job 13: 15. Though he slay me, yet will I hope in him; I will surely defend my ways to his face. 16. Indeed, this will turn out for my deliverance, for no godless person would dare come
LESSON OUTLINE
I. TESTED BY GREAT LOSSES
A. Loss of Family and Property B. Loss of Health
II. TESTED BY JUDGMENTAL COUNSEL
A. Wrong Assumptions
B. Misapplied Wisdom
III. CONFIDENCE IN GOD RETAINED
A. Confident When Facing Death
B. Confident of Vindication
BIBLE EXPOSITION INTRODUCTION Job’s life as described in chapters 1 and 2 of the Book of Job sums up the greatest tragedy he faced in life. In just a few brief moments, Job learned that he had lost his valuable oxen, donkeys and camels in two separate raids by robbers, his sheep from fire, and all his children to a sudden
LESSON OUTLINE
I. TESTED BY GREAT LOSSES
A. Loss of Family and Property
B. Loss of Health
II. TESTED BY JUDGMEN - TAL COUNSEL
A. Wrong Assumptions
B. Misapplied Wisdom
III. CONFIDENCE IN GOD RETAINED
A. Confident When Facing Death B. Confident of Vindication windstorm. After years of serving God and receiving His blessings, Job’s life turned in a sudden, catastrophic reversal of fortunes. The greatest man of the East became the greatest story of tragedy in the East. How would he respond? Many people serve God as long as it brings tangible benefits. But what will one do when all of the blessings seem to be taken away? Is it still reasonable to serve God when one loses his job, health, family or wealth? How Job faced these questions show how important it is to have a “no-strings attached” faith.
I. TESTED BY GREAT LOSSES
A. Loss of Family and Property – Job 1:6-19 Why did God ask Satan if he had considered His Servant Job (verse 8)? When he appeared with the angels before God, Satan responded to God’s inquiry about where he was coming from by indicating that he had been “going to and fro in the earth” (verse 7). Peter’s statement in 1 Peter 5:8 confirms that Satan roams in search of a prey. How would you describe Job’s spiritual condition before his affliction? Job was “perfect and upright” (Job 1:8). When the word “perfect” is used in the Bible to describe a person’s spiritual state, it is not used in the sense of being sinless. This was expressed in his fear of God and avoidance of evil. Satan responded by pointing out God’s impenetrable hedge around Job that would not allow him access to the man whose piety was well-known (verse 9, 10). Satan also accused Job of serving God only because of the blessings (verse 11). If they were taken away, Satan felt Job would curse God. In response, God removed the hedge, but restricted Satan from touching Job himself (verse 12). Although this may sound strange, Job would suffer because he was a righteous man, selected for an unusual test in a supernatural challenge between God and Satan. With Job’s hedge removed, the adversary came in like a flood, causing a series of catastrophic events in Job’s life. First, Job lost his oxen, donkeys, and their attending servants to a violent act perpetrated by the Sabeans (verses 14, 15).
Next, Job lost his sheep and their attending servants to a natural disaster – “the fire of God” (verse 16). This probably refers to a lightning strike and the ensuing fire. Then, another act of violence by a group of nomadic Chaldeans resulted in the loss of Job’s camels and the death of their attending servants (verse 17). Without time to reflect on the extent of these tragedies, Job immediately met another messenger who had the worst news of all. In a freak, apparently random act of nature, a violent wind levelled the home of Job’s oldest son, killing all Job’s children. The son just happened to be hosting a large feast for all his brothers and sisters that day. With God’s permission, Satan had orchestrated the most severe test of faith imaginable, using things that we easily associate with evil (robbery and murder) and things we associate with God (natural disasters). There would be no neat, simple categories in which Job could place these events. Satan had delivered a forceful series of blows.
B. Loss of Health – Job 2:3-8 What were the limits that God set for Satan’s two tests of Job?
In the first test, Satan was not allowed to touch Job. In the second test, Satan was only prevented from taking Job’s life (Job 2:6). After losing nearly everything he had, Job was undoubtedly in great emotional turmoil and in shock. Yet in spite of Job’s weakened condition, Satan struck again. Satan does not play fair. He will exploit our weaknesses whenever he can. The first time, he attacked everything that surrounded Job. The next time, he attacked Job himself. How can illness affect believers spiritually? There are a wide variety of responses to illness, but illness often makes it very difficult for believers to sustain their own spiritual lives. Facing an illness often takes all of the person’s attention and energy so there is little left to deal with other issues. In those cases, sufferers need encouragement and help to get through an illness. Unfortunately, believers may receive little support during a time of illness, for others may be more concerned with assigning blame than with extending comfort.
“Though He slay me, yet will I hope in Him . . .” (Job 13:15a) The problem is made worse when potential supporters have erroneous beliefs about sickness and suffering. Some believers think that illness and faith cannot coexist in a believer’s life; therefore, they blame the person’s lack of faith as reason for his illness. On the contrary, in Job’s case, his illness was a result of his faith and character. After the initial attack by Satan, God again recommended Job to Satan as a man of impeccable integrity and permitted Satan to test him again. In this way, Job’s experience of suffering challenges those who are quick to point an accusing finger at a
sufferer.
II. TESTED BY JUDGMENTALCOUNSEL
A. Wrong Assumptions – Job 2:9 As important as the support and encouragement of friends is during a time of illness, Job was forced to stand alone through his ordeal. The first person to provide advice after Job became ill was his wife. Her advice was straightforward and blunt: “Curse God, and die” (Job 2:9). This is the only mention of her in the Bible. Although Job stood strong during their trials, his wife succumbed to Satan’s attack, suggesting that Job did the very thing Satan thought Job would do if afflicted: curse God (1:11; 2:5). What is a spouse’s responsibility when his or her partner suffers hardship? It can be devastating for a believer when a spouse, who could be a tower of strength, yields to Satan’s ploys. Job’s wife, broken by the magnitude of her own emotional pain and her husband’s suffering yielded to doubt. The tragedies took their toll on her. She seemed to think her husband somehow brought everything on himself, judging from her questioning of Job’s integrity (verse 9). She was not the only one who made wrong assumptions about Job. His so- called comforters would also assumed that he was guilty of some wrongdoing that resulted in his suffering. What are some typical responses people have toward those who are suffering? Many people do not know what to do or say when they are around someone who has experienced a tragedy or is extremely ill. As a result, they avoid the sufferer altogether. Others feel they have to say something, so they try to explain why the situation occurred. Some visit and offer silent support, such as the way Job’s friends sat silently with him for 7 days before they spoke (2:11-13). It has been suggested this was the only real comfort they provided him. When they spoke, they did more harm than good. B. Misapplied Wisdom – Job 4:1, 8; 8:1, 5, 6, 20; 11:1, 6 What was going on in the minds of Job’s friends as they ministered to him?
After the initial period of silence, Job’s three friends felt they needed to speak. Using the general understanding that God blesses the righteous and punishes the wicked, there was no question in their minds that Job must have done something wrong to deserve these tragedies. As a result, they embarked on a journey to uncover the hidden sin in Job’s life. They thought if Job would repent, his situation would improve. Job’s friends came to him with honest intentions (2:11). They were good men, neither hypocrites nor heretics. However, even good Christian people can be miserable comforters if they mishandle God’s wisdom. Eliphaz appealed to the principle of sowing and reaping (4:8). This is a well-known biblical principle that is applicable to a number of situations. Eliphaz’s mistake was to work backward with the principle: Job is reaping disaster so he must have sown evil. Eliphaz then tried to get Job to repent of the evil he had done to bring disaster into his life. Bildad appealed to the principle of suffering as a result of sin (8:5, 6).
He also worked backward with the principle. Job is suffering, so he must have sinned. He called on Job to plead with God for forgiveness and restoration. This was good advice for most people–but not for Job. He was innocent with respect to his suffering, having done nothing to deserve it. Finally, Zophar appealed for Job to accept godly wisdom instead of maintaining his innocence (11:6). Zophar felt the circumstantial evidence of Job’s incredible suffering presented an airtight case against him. If he would confess to the crimes, Job could get off with a light sentence. They would get a big surprise at the end of the book when God announced the verdict. How can we avoid making the same mistakes that Job’s friends made? Job’s friends did the equivalent of proof-texting the Scripture, using Scripture verses that were not appropriate for Job’s situation. This should cause believers to use caution when ministering to anyone who is suffering. Instead of trying to explain why things are happening to someone, the silent but assuring presence of a
friend will likely be much more valuable.
III. CONFIDENCE IN GOD RETAINED
A. Confident When Facing Death –Job 13:15, 16
How does Job show the importance of being able to stand alone in faith? The dialogue between Job and his friends is painful to read. Their repeated attempts to get him to repent of his sin during a period of incredible sorrow and grief makes it understandable when Job expresses sarcasm (Job 12:22), disappointment (19:21, 22), and defiance (21:3). Many times, people will disappoint us with their actions and words. When he should have received a ministry of comfort from his fellow believers, Job instead got unfounded accusations about hidden sins in his life. If he were going to survive this test of his faith, he would have to do it alone. Fortunately, he was ready. Although he struggled through- out this experience and said some foolish things during his ordeal, Job’s faith and confidence could not be broken by the accusations of his friends. In one of the great confessions of faith in the Bible, Job determined that he would place his hope in God even if God put him to death (Job 13:15). Ultimately, God would take care of the injustices toward Job by bringing him to salvation and deliverance (verse 16), which he seemed to think would occur through his death. Job felt the opportunity to meet God through death would provide him with a long-awaited hearing before God. With enormous pressure on him, Job stood firm in his faith in God with no strings attached.
B. Confident of Vindication – Job 19:23-27
What important theological concept does Job mention in his confession (Job 19:25-27)? Job probably lived about the same time as Abraham, which was early in the progress of revelation and before the Law and Prophets. Yet this ancient man of faith provided another of the great confessions of the Bible. Facing an uncertain future, Job was confident that his living Redeemer would someday vindicate him. Job’s need for a mediator to serve as his defense attorney points to the void that Jesus would later fill when He became our advocate with the Father (1 John 2:1). In addition to a mediator, Job also expressed confidence that death would not mean the end of his existence (verse 26). While Job’s words do not clearly express immortality and resurrection, he clearly sees life beyond the grave. We must remember that Job at this time fully expected to die. But in that day the great Kinsman-Redeemer would stand there with him, in fellowship with him, and freed from the disease that made his friends
LIFE APPLICATION
Job’s faith developed through many years of service to God. This prepared him for the enormous test he faced. Job’s response proved the adversary wrong: Job’s faith was unconditional, based solely on confidence in God.
In contrast, many people place all of their hopes and aspirations on things such as a job, income level, new home, college degree, relationship, retirement account, or any other number of things that take the place of God. Then when life brings a painful test, the pattern of faithless living that developed over a period of years is too much to overcome in the face of a test. At times, God does allow Satan to assault believers to accomplish His divine purposes. He allowed Job to experience great loss, Peter to be sifted like wheat (Luke 22:31, 32), and Paul to receive an undefined thorn in his flesh (2 Corinthians 12:7-10). God will allow Satan to test believers in modern times as well. None of these great men knew all of the reasons behind their various tests, but they all eventually received a passing grade because of their faith. How well will you do when you are tested?
1. When loss comes, why do you think people tend to want to blame someone or something for it?
2. How can you be a true comforter to someone who is suffering loss?
3. Why would you retain your confidence in God during difficult times?
DAILY BIBLE READING
Mon: God Cares for the Righteous - Psalm 91:1-7.
Tue: God’s Presence in Trouble - Isaiah 43:1-7.
Wed: Confidence in God - Habakkuk 3:17-19.
Thu: Strengthened by God’s Grace - 2 Timothy 2:1-13.
Fri: Rejoicing Though Tried - 1Peter 4:12-19.
Sat: Overcoming Through Faith - 1 John 5:1-5.
________________________________________________________________________________
SOURCE: Assemblies of God Constitution Android App
Tags agss
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