PLEASE READ THIS FIRST: Job 1-2
What do you sense the Lord saying to you in this passage?
“Are you still maintaining your integrity? Curse God and die!” (Job 2:9)
What strikes me in this passage is how our spiritual enemy works.
Satan (meaning ‘adversary’) wants to knock down Job’s faith, hope and love.
The deceiving spirit focuses on all that is hard and bad to inspire despair.
These tactics work on Job’s wife and she even joins Satan in discouraging Job.
I am not blaming Job’s wife, just noticing how the enemy works.
Many people see struggles and tragedies as reasons to curse God.
But what is the alternative… to curse God and die?
Without God, nothing makes sense; at least with God there is hope.
I get the pressure to question and doubt, to give up and run away…
What are ways the deceiver is undermining my confidence in Jesus?
M frustration with inequality, injustice, lack of compassion and respect?
My struggle with institutional church and with how religious people behave?
I admit I do struggle with evil and suffering in the world (and in me).
But if I’m going to curse anyone and die, it will be the evil one.
PRAYER
Lord, thank you that you understand our struggle and despair, and choose to stand with us despite our losing hope. The enemy is good at what he does, but you are better still. I choose to trust you and live!
God is God – He is in charge. Job acknowledges that when he says: “Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble?” Can I accept a negative verdict – negative news – a health setback – a death – the illness of a loved one? Yes, God says – pray to me and He will answer – He will comfort – but he doesn’t necessarily answer the way I had hoped or prayed. Can I continue to honour God? Am I tempted to ‘curse God’? I maybe angry and grieve that the God doesn’t answer my way – yet I must accept that I am not God – He is! Job was angry – he couldn’t understand why this was happening – I don’t think we know either – but it is a test of our faith in God. Help me Lord Jesus to stay faithful – in spite of the negative things happening to me in my life!
I must be a person of integrity focused on the Lord’s will for my life, serving Him at all times and in all situations. And though the enemy seems strong, God is the Ruler yet and in Him is my Hope and Security and Confidence and Strength. I need to stand on the Rock each day anew and at all times I will praise the living God for He is my Light and Salvation.
This is my Father’s world:
O let me ne’er forget
That though the wrong seems oft so strong,
God is the Ruler yet.
This is my Father’s world:
Why should my heart be sad?
The Lord is King: let the heavens ring!
God reigns; let earth be glad!