Having completed the history of Israel in the Old Testament, we now go back in time and look at the life of a man named Job.
When he lived is uncertain, but considering how long he lived, (well past 150), he was probably born after the flood, and probably around the time of Abraham.
The Bible says of him,
This man was blameless and upright; he feared God and shunned evil. (Job 1:1)
He was also very prosperous and blessed by God, and was considered to be the greatest man in the East. (1:3)
But he was soon about to find his peaceful life completely disrupted. When God pointed out how righteous he was to Satan, Satan accused Job of only being so righteous because God had blessed him. He then said,
But now stretch out your hand and strike everything he has, and he will surely curse you to your face. (1:11)
God gave Satan permission to do so, and Satan struck both his family and possessions. What was Job’s response?
He wept. He mourned. And then he fell down in worship, saying,
Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I will depart. The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised. (1:21)
Having failed to get Job to sin, Satan then said to God,
A man will give all he has for his own life. But now stretch out your hand and strike his flesh and bones, and he will surely curse you to your face. (2:4-5)
Once again, God gave him permission to do so, and Satan struck him with boils.
At this point, his wife reached the end of her patience and said,
Are you still maintaining your integrity? Curse God and die! (2:9)
But Job responded,
You are talking like a foolish woman. Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble? (2:10)
The life of Job brings up a very important question. Why do we worship God? Why do we follow after him? Is it only for the blessings that he gives us?
Job wasn’t like that. He worshiped God not because of what God had done for him. Rather, he worshiped God because he was worthy of that worship.
Whether God blessed him or not, God was worthy of Job’s worship and trust, and so Job continued to worship and follow him even in the midst of all his trouble.
How about you? Why do you worship God? Do you worship God simply because you feel blessed by him? Do you follow God solely because you think it’s to your profit to do so?
Or do you worship him because of who he is? Do you follow him because he is worthy of your trust?
A true worshiper worships God not simply because of what he has done for them, but for who he is. And a true worshiper will continue to believe in his goodness, even when life is falling apart around him.
What kind of worshiper are you?
Moment to Moment (Bible blog) 