When most people speak of the man Job, for whom the Bible book was titled, they consider, with angst, the trials he faced. I cannot even imagine going through what Job went through. All, back-to-back, seemingly without a moment to mourn one from the next. My husband and I lost his mother and our son 8 months apart, which was excruciatingly painful. I could not imagine being in a financial struggle, having problems with friends, and work pressure all along with these losses. These things seem to pale considering what Job faced, but they were still my reality. I will not minimize them or what you may be facing. Yet, when I read Job, I don't focus on his trials as much as the reality from God's words in the first chapter, and Satan's to be exact, that God "knew what was in (Job's) heart." I believe I can say without too much speculation that God trusted Job. God offered up His servant Job for these tests. He gave Satan the opportunity, not the list of things he could do, but the opportunity to try Job. He also limited the possibilities of what Satan could do. Stop a moment, and think about that. I know we read how this all came about in Job's life, but I want you to stop and think about God's investment in Job. Not just in Job but in you and me. I want you to think of the trust He has in you with whatever you are facing at this very moment. Can God trust you? Trust you to become more like His Son, Romans 8:28-29? Can He trust you to keep your conduct among the world honorable, 1 Peter 2:12? Can He trust you to count the joy as a crown of life waits for you, James 1:12? Finally, can He trust you to understand this life is temporary and you are resting your hope fully on His love and care for you? That last one can be found in many passages from Old Testament to the New.
As Israel was entering the land, God promised "on oath to (their) ancestors" Deuteronomy 8:1, He prepared them for the land and the opportunity to be His "holy nation" Exodus 19:6. He told them first to "be careful to follow every command" and second, to "remember how God led all the way in the wilderness, to humble and test in order to know what was in (their) heart..." Deuteronomy 8:2. The passage ends by saying, "whether or not you would keep his commands." Just as God wanted Israel to see themselves, their strengths in Him, their weaknesses, vulnerabilities, and on and on, Job was able to see the same things about himself through testing. Israel was also put in a situation where their dependency on God was tested. Job's belief's about God were put in view for God to concretize or disabuse. God trusted that what was inside each, Israel and Job would be revealed through the testing they faced.
Job's greatest test was his view of God. Job's view of God had some aspects that God would eventually purify and correct. Yet, Job's view of God was solid enough that he would not let go of God, which was an outcome the test revealed. Job 23:10 "Yet He knows the way I have taken; when He has tested me, I will come forth as gold." Read that again. Are those words descriptive of you as you face the trial you are in, just went through, or will go through? Will your view and understanding of God help you stay steadfast through testing?
God knows what He is going to squeeze out of us during a trial. In the same way, Israel's character was shown, as most of the nation's people would choose not to trust but turn to idols; we need to grow and blossom during a trial that comes through in our testing time. He trusted Job's dependency on Him, and that bloomed when his hedge was removed. This is not fatalistic. You and I can make decisions based on our Scripture knowledge and understanding of God. Where we might normally fall short, we can stand strong through faith and prayer. God is trusting us to learn the lesson of His Word, so we choose what is opposed to our human character and will lean into passages such as 1 Corinthians 10:13 "no temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man." The key to that is while trials may be common, it does not mean every man handles them the same. Each temptation or trial is a new choice to be more like the Lord and Savior Jesus. Matthew 4 is where we find the testing of Jesus for 40 days in the wilderness. It starts off by saying, "being led by The Spirit." The devil came to test him when he was at the most vulnerable time of a fast. Sound familiar? The same devil came to God and was offered, "have you considered my servant Job?" Anyway, the devil came and tested Jesus. Jesus defeated his enemy and victoriously came through his temptation by depending on God's Word. We are offered tools through this history of Jesus' walk on the earth.
Let's finish the promise of 1 Corinthians 10:13; it goes on to remind us, "God is faithful." If you take the time to read the statements about God that came from Job, you will discover that he knew this about God. God knew Job was established in the reality that He is faithful. Thusly, the test would prove successful for the faithfulness of Job. Will your testing find you faithfully, depending on God's faithfulness? Israel was not too confident in that characteristic of God. God would show His faithfulness continually, and they would continually turn to idols during their testing. Yet, there was a remnant that would understand and depend on God's faithfulness. Faithfulness was repeatedly seen in their worse circumstances. That remnant would stand in their knowledge of God, proven by how He'd keep them when they faced enemies, plagues, and more. One of the key parts of 1 Corinthians 10:13 is what is said next, "and He will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation, He will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it." We can be more like Job and the faithful remnant of Israel than idol-worshiping and untrustworthy Israel when we are offered opportunities for testing.
As I read the book of Job, the thought that God turned Satan loose to test Job doesn't cause me stress but helps me understand the faithfulness of God. God set limits for Job's testing. He also allowed all that did not belong to Job to be taken. Some may say, "but his children?" They did not belong to Job. Our children do not belong to us. Their departure from this earth is hard, and I understand that. Remember, I started off by sharing that I lost my son. I also mourned, and while mourning, I thanked God for allowing my husband and me to manage a soul who belonged to Him.
While Satan thought these things were so important to Job that he would turn his back on God if they were taken, God trusted Job to have held them loosely, Job 1:20-22. That does not negate that he cared for all God blessed him with, but he was proven to have understood his position as manager, not the owner. This is what testing did to reveal what was in Job's heart. The book of Job is long and can be difficult to understand in many places. The poetry might be misinterpreted by many. The one thing you and I will not misunderstand is what God allowed. We will not misunderstand that God trusted Job with what he would face. You and I will also be clear that the areas where Job needed to grow in his understanding of God would be displayed. That was necessary for Job. He could not stay the same. Faith must be challenged to grow. It only happens with the temptation that is allowed and will not be "beyond your ability, but with the temptation, He will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it." That is good news.
I'll put it on the line and say testing reveals God's trust in His children, revealing hearts and lives that know He is faithful. Testing helps you and me grow up in our salvation as we face the trials God allows each of us. Can God trust you with your trial? You are not alone. His offer to see what you are made of in His Son is an offer for you to be more like His Son. Yes, these tests can be very painful, and I will never minimize that. God doesn't minimize that. Jesus wept over the death of his friend Lazarus. In the end, our character will be strengthened. That is what God is trusting about your faith in Him. Rejoice in that reality!
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