One day, angels presented themselves to the Lord and Satan came with them. Satan thought Job would curse God if he removed his livelihood. So, God accepted Satan’s challenge and allowed him to torment him, as long as he did not take his life. One day, raiders stole his oxen and donkeys, fire killed his sheep, Chaldeans stole his camel, and his children died from a strong wind.
Even with tragic events, Job did not curse God. He decided to praise the Lord. He shaved his head, tore his robe, fell to his knees, and said, “The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised. (Job 1:21)”
Satan was not satisfied and argued that Job never felt any physical pain. Satan thought if Job experienced physical pain, he would curse God. So, God allowed Satan to physically harm him, as long as spared his life. First, he was struck with painful sores all around his body to torment him. He scraped his sores with a broken piece of pottery as he sat among the ashes of the things he’d lost.
Even Job’s wife was bewildered and told him to give up, but Job maintained his integrity. Job replied, “Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble? (Job 2:10)” His friends then comforted and sympathized with him.
After all these trials, God restored his life, giving twice as much as he had before. Job’s material possessions, such as his animals, doubled. He had a new family, with 10 children. He lived for another 140 years, seeing Job’s family and legacy prosper.
We can learn from Job’s story. Even if these trials may not seem reasonable, we should still have faith in God, no matter the circumstance. We would not understand His reasons, but we know that God works in many ways. The only reason he perceived this is because of his faith. After he conquered the trials, God rewarded him with blessings more than he could have expected. Now, as Christians, are there any trials that may seem unreasonable? All we have to do is obey, persevere, and have faith in the Lord.