“Blessed be the name of the Lord.”

“And he said, “Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked shall I return. The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.” In all this Job did not sin or charge God with wrong.” (Job 1:21-22 ESV)

In so many churches today this mentality is missing. Job was the most righteous man in Uz. Satan told God, that because of the protected hedge God put around Job, he was faithful and if that was taken away, Job would curse God. So, God allowed it to happen.

In chapter 1 of the Job, the man lost everything. His children, all ten at one time, his livestock, and his servants in on day. Yet Job never wavered in faith, but sitting on a dung, symbolizing his ultimate loss and grief, Job pleaded His case before God asking, “why?”

Job’s friends displayed the typical response of the Jews at that time, “What have you done to be punished by God?” Job protested his innocence. Remember the blind man in John 9? “As he passed by, he saw a man blind from birth. And his disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” Jesus answered, “It was not that this man sinned, or his parents, but that the works of God might be displayed in him.” This response still happens today. Many in times of trouble are told they “did something wrong” or they "do not have enough faith," before God and it is needless guilt for one with God who has done wrong will have repented before a forgiving God.

In Job 13, Eliphaz tells Job that his pleading innocence before God is his pride. “Should a wise man answer with windy knowledge, and fill his belly with the east wind? Should he argue in unprofitable talk, or in words with which he can do no good? But you are doing away with the fear of God and hindering meditation before God. For your iniquity teaches your mouth, and you choose the tongue of the crafty. Your own mouth condemns you, and not I; your own lips testify against you.”(15:1-6) In other words you are a liar, you are hiding your sin before us. and you have sinned against God who has separated Himself from you. Wow, very harsh words from those who one considers friends.

We do not condemn others. Yet Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar all condemned Job accusing him of sin. For our brothers and sisters who sin, who come to us or us to them, we pray for and with them. We do not condemn for we know the words of Christ, “Judge not, and you will not be judged; condemn not, and you will not be condemned; forgive, and you will be forgiven.” And my friends, confronting with love and mercy is not judgement. We are called to confront our brothers and sisters in their sins against us. “If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother. But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, that every charge may be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses. If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church. And if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector.” (Matthew 18:15)  For us on this side of the cross, gentile and tax collector equate to a someone who is not a believer and is steeped in sin refusing to listen our confrontation, and hopefully, our presentation of the gospel, all given with love and compassion.

The Christian life is not easy. We say this all the time and it is true. Yes there are consequences to our sinning, but not every trial or tribulation is punishment. Remember we who have faith in Christ are forgiven our sins. Our troubles are meant to mold us into the image of Christ, and that cannot happen without suffering, just as our Savior suffered for us.

Paul wrote in 2 Timothy 8-13, “Remember Jesus Christ, risen from the dead, the offspring of David, as preached in my gospel,  for which I am suffering, bound with chains as a criminal. But the word of God is not bound! Therefore I endure everything for the sake of the elect, that they also may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory. The saying is trustworthy, for:

If we have died with him, we will also live with him; if we endure, we will also reign with him; if we deny him, he also will deny us; if we are faithless, he remains faithful—for he cannot deny himself.” We in faith died with Christ. In His resurrection we are raised with Christ in salvation, and in our salvation, With live with Christ and He lives in us. Amen.

Christ is faithful and we have assurances of our salvation. No that despite the trials of this world, eternity waits or those who place their faith in Christ Jesus. Seek life, seek Him now.

Grace and Peace!