Prayer
Let us Pray: Merciful Creator, we humbly come before you to seek your directions in our lives. Helps us to live holy lives that are acceptable to you. God you never disappoint us and we are thankful for this and other blessing that we have received from you. None of these blessings are by our own merit, but by your grace. Allow us to have the faith of Job, to seek knowledge, to be compassionate and to knew that you are a living God. Amen.
Sermon
Sometimes bad things happen to good people. We see and hear of floods, car accidents, hurricanes, illnesses, bankruptcies, divorces, rapes, hate crimes, tornadoes, wars, terrorist attacks and all other atrocities. If this have ever happened in your life you might feel a though you are being punished. But even in the midst of trials and tribulation death heartache and pain, just because things are not going the way that you think they should, does not mean that God is punishing you or that he loves you any less. God assures us that when we suffer, He, our Lord, is still in control and with us. This is indeed the Good News. God is in control no matter what. I have seen suffering on all different levels, but never have I seen suffering like that of God’s servant Job.
If we look at the book of Job together your heart wrenches with sorrow for him Let us look at the book of Job. The book of Job falls right before Psalms. (Wait)
The book tells us that Job was blameless and upright. He was the father of seven sons and three daughters, he had over seven thousand sheep, three thousand camels, yoked oxen and of course servants to tend to his family, all the livestock and himself. Job was wealthy, but his wealth did not make him change, it made him better.
As part of his daily routine Job, being a upright person, would offer a burnt offering for each of his children, a just in case they had sinned the previous day. He feared the Lord and stayed away from evil. The devil in his cowardice was roaming the earth seeking to destroy and make mockery of God. Well, one day, while Job’s children were feasting and having a merry ol’ time, Job received awful news. An eye witness came running to the house and told him that the Salbeans Had attacked his cows and donkeys and seized them all and murdered the servants who cared for them, except for the messenger that shared this dreadful news. Before that messenger could even finish his statement another servant came rushing in to tell him that the thieving Chaldeans formed three raiding parties, surround all his beautiful camels and carried them off and killed the servants caring for his camels. If that wasn’t bad enough, another servant came stumbling in to report that, while all of the children were feasting at the oldest brothers house a tornado from the dessert suddenly came and destroyed the home with all of his children, guest and servants in side the house . Believe or not this was in the first chapter.
As you can imagine, Job was stricken with immense grief. He got up tore his clothing, shaved his hair, fell to the ground wailed and cried, but instead of cursing God, and began to worship God, saying, “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I will depart. The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; May the name of the Lord be praised.” – Job 1:21 Job never once blames God for all the horrific things that had just happened to him.
More terrible, terrible things happened to Job. But just when you think it could not get any worse his friends sorta deserted him. At first, his three friends joined him as he was mourning, they wept with him, they tore off their clothes and sprinkled dust or ashes on their heads and sat on the ground with him for seven days and nights. Not saying a word, just sitting in silence sympathizing with him, watching him, trying to figure out what just happened and why. Suddenly as we read in chapter three, Job cursed the day he was born. He said things like “ May that day turn to darkness” ” may God not care about it.” He wondered why he was ever born. He pondered why he just didn’t die in infancy, or was a still birth where he would be at peace, laying in the earth with others who had died before him. The real problem was all of his fears, had become instant realities. He was a tormented man a human mess. Job three friends turn their backs on him and tries to encourage Job to curse God and die. God wants Job to trust in Him and Him alone. But Job friends criticized him, even while he sat in ashes, his body covered with open sores infected with worms. There was a ray of hope in Job’s heart, He understood that his Redeemer, our Redeemer lives, So Job, still seeking wisdom from God, learning from all of the horrific events (Chapter six) answers “Does not man have a hard time on earth for a reason?” (Chapter seven) After even more criticism Job tells his friends that God was still merciful, He states that God created all of the universe, the constellations in the sky (chapter 9) the wonders on earth, seen and not yet discovered. Job assures them that he is blameless and bad things happened to Good people, the reasons only God could give. He even states that it is God hands that created him and he did so for a purpose. He finally states in Job 19:25-27. Please read it with me. It is in our Celebrates,
We too know that our Redeemer lives. Just look what he created With all of the bad things going on, God is with us as we feast and dine at his table He is with us. As we seek knowledge and understanding God is with us, As we pray and yearn to grow spiritual, God is still with us.
The ending of Job’s story- Job had to pray for his friends and their disbelief. He prayed and asked God to forgive them for all of their foolishness and mockery You know something God forgave all three of them. The Lord did not forget Job all that he went through, he made him more prosperous, giving him twice as many things as he had before. He had seven more sons and three more beautiful daughters and he lived in health and prosperity for four more generations.
I wonder- If God did all this for Job and that was way before Christ came to die for each of us, what remarkable things can He do for each of us despite all of the bad things that are happening to and around us. Beloved children of God, through it all you must learn to trust in Jesus, never give up hope. Our God is a God of love and compassion, and although we may not be as upright as Job, He still cares for us. Our Redeemer lives and is in control and let the church say, Amen. Amen and Amen.
