(Job 1) is one of the most amazing chapters in all of Scripture. In it we see one of the greatest cosmic battles in the entire Bible. In this chapter we see Satan and God debating on Job’s motives for serving God, for we read:
“Then the Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil.” “Does Job fear God for nothing?” Satan replied. “Have you not put a hedge around him and his household and everything he has? You have blessed the work of his hands, so that his flocks and herds are spread throughout the land. But now stretch out your hand and strike everything he has, and he will surely curse you to your face.” The Lord said to Satan, “Very well, then, everything he has is in your power, but on the man himself do not lay a finger.” (Job 1:8-12).
Here we see God, in His sovereignty, giving Satan permission to inflict Job and his family with multiple calamities. Clearly this cosmic test is designed to show Satan that a true believer is willing to serve God even when severe trials come their way. The question I would like to pose to us now is are we willing to still serve God even when we are afflicted with heavy trials? Or will we curse God and grow bitter towards Him?
I believe that all Christians during their lifetime will on many occasions be tested by trials sent from God, not because God wants to harm us, but because these tests are designed by the Lord to accomplish several things in our lives. Below are three reasons that I pray will encourage you to stand firm with the Lord when these trials come.
Reason 1 – Trials are necessary to build up our faith in the Lord.
Just as our muscles grow weak if they are not exercised regularly our faith needs trials to build and strengthen our trust in the Lord. If our faith doesn’t get tested it will never grow. But when we get sent a trial from God we can draw close to the Lord and rely on Him to pull us through. And as we overcome the trial our faith grows. So, the next time we face adversity, we can recall how God delivered us in the past, and use this encouragement to trust Him again to see us through.
Reason 2 – Trials allow us to bring glory to God.
One of the greatest privileges in life is the ability we have to bring glory to our heavenly Father. In fact, I believe we were created for this. And when we go through trials and our faith stands strong, we bring glory to God for we read: “In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.” (1 Peter 1:6-7).
Reason 3 – Trials allow all the cosmic forces of evil (including Satan) to know that true Christians serve God in both the good and difficult times.
One of the main reasons God allowed Satan to inflict Job was to show him that true believers in God serve the Lord even when they have to suffer in this life. Job, though he suffered greatly, never cursed God and held on to his integrity throughout this entire ordeal. I believe Satan was not only defeated at Calvary but he is “shown the door” every time a believer says yes to Jesus – even during the storms of life!
The question I posed at the beginning of this devotion is are we willing to let God use us to bring glory to His name even if we have to go through suffering? I believe, if we understand what our main purpose in life is (to bring glory to God) and that life is after all training for eternity, then the Christian walk becomes more manageable and meaningful. In closing, I pray that you and I listen and learn from the words of apologist Lee Strobel: “The universe is a soul making machine, and part of that process is learning, maturing, and growing through difficult and challenging and painful experiences. The point of our lives in this world isn’t comfort, but training and preparation for eternity.”1
1 Lee Strobel quote: The universe is a soul making machine, and part of… (azquotes.com)