Job
Driving up Hwy 1 from the hospital back to the office today, the sheer beauty of God’s creation startled me. To the right, was the forested area of Monterey to the left was an amazing view of the Bay. For a split second, I didn’t know whether to look to the left or the right. Finally, I decided to move my attention back to the road in front of me. That’s when I saw it—a powder blue VW (not one of those new fiberglass forgeries, it was the real deal-an old-fashioned bug) with a bumper sticker that said, “I want to be a Cadillac when I grow up.”
Have you ever wanted to be someone else? Like David with your foot on Goliath’s armor and your hands held high in victory? Or Simon Peter when Jesus said, “upon this rock I’ll build my church?” Have you ever wanted to be Job? Not me. Who would?
Face it, the guy had it rough. He suffered severe loss all because he was righteous. He lost his family, his fortune, his health. The only thing he got to keep was that wife of his and his so-called friends. Yet he never cursed God. Yea, there was a time or two where his spirits got low, like the time he said: “The truth is that the wicked live to a good old age. They grow old and wealthy. [8] They live to see their children grow to maturity, and they enjoy their grandchildren. [9] Their homes are safe from every fear, and God does not punish them. [10] Their bulls never fail to breed. Their cows bear calves without miscarriage. [11] Their children skip about like lambs in a flock of sheep. [12] They sing with tambourine and harp. They make merry to the sound of the flute. [13] They spend their days in prosperity; then they go down to the grave in peace.” (Job 21:7–13 NLT)
As he scraped his sores with broken pottery, lamented the loss of everything he had and listened to the poor council of his friends, Job must have envied the wicked. But he remained faithful. He said, “Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him” (Job 13:15 KJV) On second thought, perhaps Job may just the greatest hero of them all. No, I don’t want to go through what he went through, but if I had to, I’d want to be just like him.
Jim L. Wilson, Fresh Start Devotionals (Fresno, CA: Willow City Press, 2009).
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