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Make sure you’re pronouncing the title of this blog right - it’s referring to Job (pronounced with a long o, like ‘jobe’) the man, not a job like where you go to work! Interestingly, the name Job comes from a Latin translation of the Old Testament, and is loosely based on the Hebrew. The original Hebrew for Job’s name is iyyov (pronounced iy-yove).

So what’s the deal with Job? Why is his story important to us today?

The general outline of the story is that Job is a holy man with great prosperity, and he is faithful to God. Satan essentially asks God to prove that Job is truly faithful, and not just because he is so prosperous in material things. God gives Satan permission to do whatever he wants to Job, with the exception that Job himself cannot be harmed. After this, Job basically loses everything - and I mean everything! Right away in the first chapter of the book, his oxen, donkeys, sheep, servants, camels, and even his children all die. But as it says in Job 1:22, “In all this, Job did not sin by charging God with wrongdoing.” Next, his health is taken away, and his wife turns against him. Then Job’s three friends show up, and they have long discussion with him.

To make a long story short (since I don’t want to re-write the book here), Job does remain entirely faithful to God, despite what his friends tell him. Finally, in chapter 38, God and Job have a conversation. God basically gives Job a figurative slap, saying essentially, “Who are you, compared to me?!” In Job 38-39, God lists all of the amazing and wonderful things He did and has done in Creation. This all comes to a climax in Job 40:2-5, which says:

“Will the one who contends with the Almighty correct him? Let him who accuses God answer him!” Then Job answered the Lord: “I am unworthy—how can I reply to you? I put my hand over my mouth. I spoke once, but I have no answer—twice, but I will say no more.”

Job realizes that he is totally unworthy of complaining about anything; he is a mere man, and God is amazing, awesome, and all powerful.

At the end of the book, God ends up blessing Job with double what he had in chapter 1. Job remained faithful even through all of the difficulties he went through.

So that’s a great story and all, but what does it mean for us? Well, think about how much we complain about our situations. I’m reminded of the “First World Pains” idea on Twitter and Facebook. These sayings are things we in the U.S. tend to complain about, while not realizing how blessed we truly are. We whine and complain about these stupid little things in our lives, when they are nowhere near as tragic as what Job faced - yet he never cursed God and he continued to remain faithful to God.

What about you? What do you do when adversity is in your life? I’m talking about real adversity - something that was not a consequence of a bad choice you made, but something that is truly a major trial for you. Do you curse God and say why did He let this happen to me? Or do you praise God throughout the entire ordeal, realizing that you are still blessed beyond measure? This is not easy to do, but as you grow deeper in relationship with Jesus it becomes just a little easier.