Take this journey with me #BookofJob1

I would love you all to take this journey with me in reading the book of Job.  Why I choose job?  To Understand & appreciate….

• God for who he is and not for what he has to offer

• Test of faith - God can give the devil permission to push us to our limits

• Praising and standing by God through trials

• Holding on to God’s word by faith and rejecting false prophesy to make life easier / to ease our pains

• The meaning of endurance - Job’s was a bit much;-) but God may push us only to what we can emotionally endure

*The below text is in New Living translation, my personal preference.  Go to Biblegateway to convert to any bible version you prefer.

Job 1

• Prologue

1 There once was a man named Job who lived in the land of Uz. He was blameless—a man of complete integrity. He feared God and stayed away from evil. 2 He had seven sons and three daughters. 3 He owned 7,000 sheep, 3,000 camels, 500 teams of oxen, and 500 female donkeys. He also had many servants. He was, in fact, the richest person in that entire area.

4 Job’s sons would take turns preparing feasts in their homes, and they would also invite their three sisters to celebrate with them. 5 When these celebrations ended—sometimes after several days—Job would purify his children. He would get up early in the morning and offer a burnt offering for each of them. For Job said to himself, “Perhaps my children have sinned and have cursed God in their hearts.” This was Job’s regular practice.

• Job’s First Test

6 One day the members of the heavenly court[a] came to present themselves before the Lord, and the Accuser, Satan,[b] came with them. 7 “Where have you come from?” the Lord asked Satan.

Satan answered the Lord, “I have been patrolling the earth, watching everything that’s going on.”

8 Then the Lord asked Satan, “Have you noticed my servant Job? He is the finest man in all the earth. He is blameless—a man of complete integrity. He fears God and stays away from evil.”

9 Satan replied to the Lord, “Yes, but Job has good reason to fear God. 10 You have always put a wall of protection around him and his home and his property. You have made him prosper in everything he does. Look how rich he is! 11 But reach out and take away everything he has, and he will surely curse you to your face!”

12 “All right, you may test him,” the Lord said to Satan. “Do whatever you want with everything he possesses, but don’t harm him physically.” So Satan left the Lord’s presence.

13 One day when Job’s sons and daughters were feasting at the oldest brother’s house, 14 a messenger arrived at Job’s home with this news: “Your oxen were plowing, with the donkeys feeding beside them, 15 when the Sabeans raided us. They stole all the animals and killed all the farmhands. I am the only one who escaped to tell you.”

16 While he was still speaking, another messenger arrived with this news: “The fire of God has fallen from heaven and burned up your sheep and all the shepherds. I am the only one who escaped to tell you.”

17 While he was still speaking, a third messenger arrived with this news: “Three bands of Chaldean raiders have stolen your camels and killed your servants. I am the only one who escaped to tell you.”

18 While he was still speaking, another messenger arrived with this news: “Your sons and daughters were feasting in their oldest brother’s home. 19 Suddenly, a powerful wind swept in from the wilderness and hit the house on all sides. The house collapsed, and all your children are dead. I am the only one who escaped to tell you.”

20 Job stood up and tore his robe in grief. Then he shaved his head and fell to the ground to worship. 21 He said,

“I came naked from my mother’s womb,
    and I will be naked when I leave.
The Lord gave me what I had,
    and the Lord has taken it away.
Praise the name of the Lord!”

22 In all of this, Job did not sin by blaming God.

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Personal Notes from this chapter

*  God was SURE about Job's  devotion and faith - Job 1:1

*  Job's children were disobedient to God sometimes, Job offered sacrifices to God for forgiveness - Job 1:4-5

*  Satan is always in our midst monitoring us - Job 1:6

*  God can give the devil permission to test us - Job 1:12

* Praise God during whatever tradegy you may be enduring - Job1:20-22  - I cannot even imagine what Job went through loosing everything in a day and being informed about his calamity ALL AT THE SAME TIME yet he still praised God.  He was truly a man of Integrity.

Verse 21 says it all, we come to this world with no earthly possesions and we will depart with nothing...
*  Job never cursed God during his trials as Satan had anticipated, he praised God instead.