“There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and that man was perfect and upright, and one that feared God, and eschewed evil.”
Job 1:1
Job was the richest man in the East, he walked up right and did that which right in God’s sight.
Sometimes the Lord allows unfortunate things to happen in our lives to let us know how much we need to trust and depend on him.
The Lord will sometimes prove to the enemy (the Devil) that you (Saints) have faith in Him, and will trust Him in your trials and test. This was the case with Job.
When things happen in our lives, we need not question God. Job lost everything that he had, his sons and daughters, wealth, cattle, as well as his health. After losing everything there was a bold statement made by Job.
“…Naked came I out of my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return thither: the Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.”
Job 1:21
The attitude, which Job possessed, we should also posses when we’re going through things and have trauma in our lives.
After Satan saw that taking Job’s family and substance wouldn’t change Job’s faith in the Lord, he desired to put affliction upon Job. The Lord allowed Job to be in the hand of Satan, though his life couldn’t be taken.
“And Satan answered the Lord, and said Skin for skin, yea, all that a man hath will he give for his life. But put forth thine hand now and touch his bone and his flesh, and he will curse thee to thy face: And the Lord said unto Satan, Behold he is in thine hand; but save his life. So went Satan forth from the presence of the Lord, and smote Job with sore boils from the sole of his foot unto his crown.”
Job 2:4-7
It was bad enough to have this affliction, but Job’s wife wanted him to curse God and die. Job 2: 9-10
Historians say that he had this affliction for six months; in this he showed his love and faith he had in his God.
“ I remember one morning when I woke up getting ready for work. I was going to feed the horses when I was going to the stall; I noticed my son’s pony was out. When I went up to him I noticed that he had a broken leg. We called the vet to seek help for him, but he couldn’t promise anything. We placed a cast on his leg and raised him up to relief any pressure on the leg.
After a week or two, I was optimistic, but one day as I fed the pony I encountered an awful smell as if something were dead. I looked around and couldn’t see anything in the stall, when I checked his cast I saw worms in and around it, that is where the scent came from, I knew then I would have to put the pony to sleep.”
Minister James Ceo, Testimony
Let’s look at Job and his condition; Job had sores and worms all over his body. He had (3) friends, which heard of his condition and came to visit. They sat around for seven days not saying a word. Job 2:11-13
Job was in great pain and agony, when his friends did speak they asked what great thing had he done to bring this judgment upon himself. Imagine having an affliction and visitors come and instead of comfort they offer you criticism. In this Job sowed love and patience.
“Then Job answered and said, I have heard many such things: miserable comforters are ye all. Shall vain words have an end? Or what emboldeneth thee that thou answerest? I also could speak as ye do: if your souls were in my soul’s stead, I could heap up words against you, and shake mine head at you. But I would strength you with my mouth, and the moving of my lips should assuage your grief.”
Job 16: 1-5
Sometimes when you’re going through some trouble times and it looks like heaven is shut up and the Lord hears you not. We should have the attitude of Job.
“Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him: but I will maintain mine own ways before him”
Job 13:15
When this attitude is developed it let’s the enemy know your trust is in God and on him do you wait.
We need to understand that God has a day set for everyone, when he will bring us through. All that Job went through he waited on the Lord.
Job knew whom his God was, the blessing of being patience and waiting on God, even though he lost everything, his children, his wife turned on him, his friends thought he done wrong unto God. His servants wouldn’t answer when he cried for help and young children looked on him as though he was nothing, but Job knew the Lord had a day of deliverance set for him.
After all he went through the Lord blessed and delivered him. Job was blessed more in his latter years than at the beginning. After reading the Book of Job I can see why God said there was none like him. Job didn’t fall into pity or blame anyone else instead he prayed for others. That’s the attitude we need to have while walking with the Lord. Sometimes we’re misunderstood, talked about, laughed at, we don’t have what others have, but we must know that we serve a God that will supply all our needs as he did Job. If I could sum it up in words I would say, "Our Attitude will determine Our Altitude."