A man who knew God
A man who loved God
Was Job
His God loved him
His God proved him
To be true
God let him lose
His wealth and health
Job endured
Shamed by his friends
Justified by His God
Job won
By Carol Ann Hoel © April 11, 2011
_____________________________
Job 19:25-27 – The Bible (NIV) – I know that my redeemer lives, and that in the end he will stand on the earth. And after my skin has been destroyed, yet in my flesh I will see God; I myself will see him with my own eyes—I, and not another. How my heart yearns within me!
Job 42:10-16 – The Bible – (NIV) – After Job had prayed for his friends, the LORD restored his fortunes and gave him twice as much as he had before. All his brothers and sisters and everyone who had known him before came and ate with him in his house. They comforted and consoled him over all the trouble the LORD had brought on him, and each one gave him a piece of silver and a gold ring.
The LORD blessed the latter part of Job’s life more than the former part. He had fourteen thousand sheep, six thousand camels, a thousand yoke of oxen and a thousand donkeys. And he also had seven sons and three daughters. The first daughter he named Jemimah, the second Keziah and the third Keren-Happuch. Nowhere in all the land were there found women as beautiful as Job’s daughters, and their father granted them an inheritance along with their brothers.
After this, Job lived a hundred and forty years; he saw his children and their children to the fourth generation. And so Job died, an old man and full of years.
Cah4el's Blog 
Yes he most certainly did 🙂
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Yes, Job won the fray, indeed. I love to read that part of the story. I still feel compassion for all his pain, but he lived to see four generations of his children, twice as rich as he was in the beginning, and, it seems likely to me that Job’s life was good. Thank you for stopping by, Te’Kia, and for your comment. Blessings to you…
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I can’t even fathom how hard Job’s life must have been. Nor the strength of his faith, for that matter. But God knew. There’s a lot covered in the book that bears Job’s name. Thanks for sharing the hope, Carol.
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I know what you mean. The account in Job is astounding. We can all find ourselves somewhere in the chapters of Job. Personally, I can identify with his wife. I’d have been flapping fire from my lips when I should have been comforting my husband, just like she did. Lots of preachers come down on her hard. Frankly, I understand her. I’m not sticking up for her rant against God, I’m just saying… I also like to point out that God blessed her right along with Job. She bore another batch of babies and lived in luxury. You know what else I like? Job gave his three daughters an inheritance along with his sons. This was not the custom of the day. I like Job. He’s cool. And God is good. He’s always good.
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Job’s faith was striking! I really need to work on that myself. 😉
Thank you for the reminder! 😀
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Yes, I think his faith was outstanding. My faith is not strong enough. I want it to be stronger. Job’s faith grew stronger from his experience, but I’m not sure I would do so well as he. God knew Job would shine or he wouldn’t have said such glowing things about Job to Satan. I cringe when I read the book, but I rejoice at the final outcome. Blessings to you, Laura…
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Mrs. Hoel: I have always had a problem with the story of Job. I have listened to a lot of people that are enduring hardship and are suffering lament that “God is testing me.” Why would an alleged kind, loving and merciful God dump all kinds of horrible things on his children?” I do not want my Father to test me. Or hurt me to see if I will still love Him in spite of. I want him to fortify me to endure the hardships of life. I think that it is Satan that tests us. And Satan will test us everyday in an attempt to have us loose faith and reject God. I find it so difficult that God would be so cruel to prove a point or that he demands our faith. Our faith is an invitation and is not conditional on our ability to accept horrible things that befall us. So perhaps God was not the source of Job’s misfortune. That Job is restored and rewarded with physical blessings and wealth seems to contradict what Jesus said about His kingdom is not of this world and seems that one would have a sense of entitlement for enduring hardship.
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I’m glad you commented, Carl. I know that lots of people feel the same way and question how God could have allowed this suffering. I don’t have all the answers, but I have a few.
In the beginning of the book of Job, there is a conversation between God and Satan that reveals certain things: (1) Satan, not God, was the one that tempted Job to grow angry and hateful toward God, (2) God allowed this testing, as God must allow anything that happens to us, because He knows all and is powerful enough to stop anything that he wishes to stop. So, in the end, whether God does something himself or allows it, nothing can happen that He doesn’t permit. I don’t claim to understand all the implications of this truth. It’s mind boggling.
I don’t want to be tested either, Carl. No one wishes to endure hardship of any kind. You will never find me asking for trouble, not intentionally, ever. And, like Job’s wife, I may not act as well as Job when under fire. God may have been showing Satan and Job’s sorry friends that Job would come out of his test a winner regardless of his failures along the way. God rebuked the critical friends of Job, and Job had to pray for them before they were off the hook for their behavior. Also, Job’s wife, who recommended to Job that he curse God and die, also lived in the lap of God’s blessing the rest of her life along with her husband.
God is good. I’ve had my own times of feeling that God was mean and hateful toward me, only to change my mind later on, realizing that my suffering made me stronger and wiser.
I like it that you wish to give God an out on this by pinning it on Satan. And it was Satan, but still, God is bigger. He didn’t have to allow it. All the things you say in your comment that you would like God to do for you, he does for us. We may question His means, but God is God, and He will do it His way. We can trust Him or not. I choose to trust, and I’ve never been sorry. I’ve been mad. MAD, I tell you. But I got over it. 🙂 Blessings to you, Carl…
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I see you were the correct person to ask.
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Thank you for your comment, Carl. I appreciate it very much. Blessings…
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whenever i read these stories i feel amazed by the beauty of these souls and God’s grace. These people face greatest catastrophes yet their souls come out purer, more beautiful. What else can we call it but God’s grace.
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Thank you, Trisha, for your sweet and insightful comment. I appreciate you very much for stopping by and adding your words in comment. Blessings to you…
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Carol Ann, as you know I’ve been digging into Job too. It’s always been my favorite book. I think because I can so easily recognize the flawed characters.
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I’ve come to realize that we are all flawed characters, except for God. I read your post. You have an entertaining style of writing. I have a few unanswered questions about the ways of God, too. Yet, I have experienced the mercy and grace of God, and I have confidence in His unfailing love. God has revealed much about Himself in the scriptures. Until I exhaust them all, I will keep learning more about the awesomeness of God, His love, and His ways. I’ve found that God keeps His promises, every one. Some are absolute and others are conditional. Some are prophetic and are yet to be fulfilled. I can vouch for God. He’s the real deal. There is no one like Jehovah God. May you learn more about God as you search for the truth. May you find peace in your heart. Blessings to you, Elizabeth…
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Many times we’ve been able to relate to Job’s hardships, sympathizing… maybe empathizing if we’ve experienced tough times, too. We’d like to blame God for allowing the suffering, and yet we forget that most accidents, illnesses and hardships are ultimately the result of the world’s sin or disobedience (not necessarily the individual’s, of course). Sometimes He does miraculously intervene, but often because of giving his creation the original gift of free choice, He allows things to play out. (I’m sure we cause God more pain and grief than we experience ourselves!) It’s reassuring to remember Job’s story… that he acknowledged God, survived and “won”. 🙂
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Yes, I agree with you entirely, Carol. It’s all too natural to blame God when we don’t understand our troubles, even more so when we do not recognize our own misdeeds that often play a part in our problems. Thank you for your insightful comment. Blessings to you, Carol…
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One of my grandma’s favorite quotations was in making a reference to the ‘patience of Job’. I really enjoyed your poem and the scriptures. Blessings, Carol Ann.
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Thank you, Bonnie. I appreciate your stopping by and your comment. The patience of Job is inspiring. I don’t know of anyone that endured more sorrow and pain than Job did. Yet, he was vindicated by God before his friends that condemned him. Blessings to you…
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Job’s story shows us that even when we do the best we can to live according to God’s teachings, there will be things that happen that we can’t understand. Things that are necessary to fulfill God’s plan for the world, and that help us fulfill our role in that plan. I look at it as a maturing process rather than a test.
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You have a sweet outlook, Carol. If we ever begin to think that bad things cannot happen to good people, we need only look at Job. He was entirely blameless, yet, his friends thought they had it all figured out, simply because they thought that God would never allow anything awful to happen to someone living a godly life. Blessings to you…
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The story of Job has always been a fave. Thanks for this.
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There is so much to learn from Job’s experience. I think the most apparent lesson is the one learned by his four friends. They assumed that Job’s suffering was proof that Job had lost God’s favor. How opposite was the truth. Job had God’s supreme favor. Suffering purifies. God’s eternal forgiveness comes through the blood sacrifice of Jesus, but after, we live this life with purpose, sometimes purpose we don’t understand or recognize. Accepting pain patiently is blessed. I like a certain praise song, but I don’t remember the title or all the words. One of the lines says “there is pain in the offering.” For some there is more pain in the offering than for others, and with it more grace. Blessings to you, sweet Jamie…
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I think what I liked best about the story of Job was the happy ending. So many ended so tragically. Good poem, Carol Ann!
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Thank you for stopping by and for your comment. Job suffered profoundly, but he spent the rest of his long life experiencing God’s favor. God is kind and generous. Yes, I see it as a happy ending, too, Leslie. Blessings to you…
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Just checking for a new post.
Have a blessed Friday and weekend, Carol Ann. Thank you for the gift of your blog.
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Thank you for your blog, too, Jamie. How time flies! Yes, it is the weekend again. May your weekend be a delight. Blessings to you…
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