JOB 1:8-22 – And the Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, who fears God and turns away from evil?” 9 Then Satan answered the Lord and said, “Does Job fear God for no reason? 10 Have you not put a hedge around him and his house and all that he has, on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land. 11 But stretch out your hand and touch all that he has, and he will curse you to your face.” 12 And the Lord said to Satan, “Behold, all that he has is in your hand. Only against him do not stretch out your hand.” So Satan went out from the presence of the Lord. 13 Now there was a day when his sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother’s house, 14 and there came a messenger to Job and said, “The oxen were plowing and the donkeys feeding beside them, 15 and the Sabeans fell upon them and took them and struck down the servants with the edge of the sword, and I alone have escaped to tell you.” 16 While he was yet speaking, there came another and said, “The fire of God fell from heaven and burned up the sheep and the servants and consumed them, and I alone have escaped to tell you.” 17 While he was yet speaking, there came another and said, “The Chaldeans formed three groups and made a raid on the camels and took them and struck down the servants with the edge of the sword, and I alone have escaped to tell you.” 18 While he was yet speaking, there came another and said, “Your sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother’s house, 19 and behold, a great wind came across the wilderness and struck the four corners of the house, and it fell upon the young people, and they are dead, and I alone have escaped to tell you.” 20 Then Job arose and tore his robe and shaved his head and fell on the ground and worshiped. 21 And he said, “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return. The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.” 22 In all this Job did not sin or charge God with wrong.

THEME OF THE DAY. HOW WOULD WE RESPOND? Today’s nugget scripture is lengthy, but for two reasons. First, God’s Word is far more important to us than my words. The second reason is to get the thrust of today’s theme. We must know the whole story. We must enter into the whole drama. The story of Job is likely not unfamiliar to any of us and the lessons within the oldest book of the Bible are many. There are the lessons on suffering, true friendship, God’s sovereignty, the personality of Satan, the trials a Christian endures, and the revelation of who both God and man are. More lessons emerge, but those are at least seven. However, another one exists that comes from today’s scripture which hits home with all of us. We will frame the lesson by the question defining today’s nugget theme – “How would we respond?”

Picture Job. He lived a God-honoring life, having walked in the fear of Him, and regularly interceding for his family (Job 1:1, 5). He was a godly man who didn’t live contrary to God’s desire and commands. In addition, he was successful. A hard-working man, God prospered him in the temporal things of life; land, livestock, wealth, and a large family. Retirement was looking really good for him. A blessed life indeed described Job. Then, the bottom falls out. Big time. Not a little but the whole thing. Wealth? Gone. Livestock? Gone. Real estate investments? Gone. As the messengers came to tell Job all this bad news, one can imagine him saying, “It was just stuff. I still have what is most important, my people, my family.” But suddenly the final messenger comes and says, “Master, your children. All of them. They were together and a tornado blasted through the area. All of them. Gone. Dead.”

Friends, how would we have responded? Better yet, how do we respond when things in life come crashing down, whatever it is? What is our reaction when things don’t work out like we planned and wanted? Take a moment and read Job’s response above. Then ask, “Is that me?” If not, let’s pray the Lord gives us the proper perspective on life. His perspective on life. Job’s perspective on life. Hold everything and everyone with open palms. We own nothing.

PRAYER: “Father, forgive me for the way too many times I complain in life as Your will unfolds for me.”

QUOTE: “God must teach us two things if we are to grow in grace; He is in control of all things and we are not.”