The Selected Man
And the Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, who fears God and turns away from evil?” Then Satan answered the Lord and said, “Does Job fear God for no reason? Have you not put a hedge around him and his house and all that he has, on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land. But stretch out your hand and touch all that he has, and he will curse you to your face.” — Job 1:8-11
This proposition is almost inconceivable to our human minds. What loving Father would willingly direct Satan to inflict suffering on a faithful son? How could God lower the "hedge" of protection around one of his most faithful children? Yet, this subtly suggests that God is responsible for the pain and suffering of this life — when he's not. We are responsible. It's our sin and selfishness that ushered suffering into this world. Therefore many a righteous man will suffer at the hand of godless disobedience.
What's unique here is that we get this momentary glimpse of what is transpiring behind the scenes—a look at a conversation between God and Satan.
Yet could this also not be interpreted as glorious. Yes, glorious! Glorious in that God saw something in Job that would endure longer than other common men. A man of uncommon faith. Uncommon willingness. Uncommon endurance. Therefore God selected him for affliction that many could not bear. And in the end, he would become one of the greatest stories of suffering of all time. It is the story of one morally upright man suffering injustice at the hand of Satan. It's the story of a man stripped of everything — children, possessions, property, and power and enduring horrific physical pain. It's one man selected by God to become one of the greatest stories ever told, second only to Jesus Christ, God's Son, who suffered sinlessly. Could there be anything more glorious than suffering at the hand of unrighteousness and enduring for the sake of righteousness?
Rather than be disturbed by this conversation, maybe it's more appropriate to hear the wonderful pride in God's voice as he says to Satan:
"Have you considered my fearless and faithful son Job? He will suffer through anything for me, and he will never give up because he knows your deceptive ways, and he fears only me."
It should be an honor to suffer for the sake of Christ. So here is a question for you today. How will you choose to suffer for the Gospel and name of Jesus Christ today?
ASK THIS: What suffering are you facing today?
DO THIS: Suffer better today than you have in the past.
PRAY THIS: God, while I don't want to be selected for suffering, if I am, help me to suffer better.
PLAY THIS: It Is Well.
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Read through the Bible daily with Vince Miller.
Physically tired after a long day of work, but i still choose to go out this evening in the community to share the gospel with some neighbor.
I suffer from lack of faithful and patient endurance. I typically have a lot of patience unless it’s something I want when I want it. Not many things fall into that category, but I always seem to mess it up when it does.
I also suffer great anxiety worrying about what to do because of what others might think.
You are being prayed for today brother! 👊🏼👊🏼👊🏼
thank You God for suffering and thank You God for the inspiring story of Job.
Amazing story!!!
If I am suffering it is because of the decisions I’ve made. Thank you Lord for your grace and mercy.
God give DJ grace upon grace today
Unfortunately anything I am suffering thru is at my own choosing. Although God has and continues to always bring me to better place.
RIght on brother!
I was just talking about suffering for Christ earlier this week w/ a friend. Impeccable timing! It’s amazing how God is at work, and how He connects the dots.
God connects them for us!
Romans 5:3-5, one of the very few Bible verses I try to memorize.
Highlighted in my bible!
3 Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, 4 and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, 5 and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.