THE SCARLET PATH

    BIBLE STUDIES

                                                             "JUST KEEP THE FAITH"        

                                                                           JOB 1:8

 INTRODUCTION:

          THE QUESTION ALWAYS ARISES WHEN A CHRISTIAN HAS TRIALS OR TROUBLES OR SOME HEALTH ISSUE, "I WONDER WHAT HE OR SHE DID TO CAUSE THIS PAIN AND SUFFERING?"

           WE FIND IN THE BOOK OF JOB A GREAT EXAMPLE OF THIS VERY THING.     THE BIBLE SAYS THAT JOB WAS PERFECT AND UPRIGHT AND ONE THAT FEARED GOD.

           NOT ONLY WAS JOB A JUST MAN, BUT GOD HAD BLESSED HIM WITH RICHES AND 7 SONS AND 3 DAUGHTERS. 

           JOB EVEN TOOK SACRIFICES OF BURNT OFFERING BEFORE THE LORD TO PAY FOR HIS FAMILIES SINS.     SO THERE WAS NOT ANOTHER MAN LIKE JOB IN ALL THE ENTIRE WORLD AT THAT TIME OR MAYBE NEVER WILL BE OTHER THAN JESUS CHRIST HIMSELF ACCORDING TO SCRIPTURE. 

          JOB IS A FASCINATING ACCOUNT OF A MAN OF GOD OF LONG AGO.     JOB'S SUFFERING WAS ONE OF TREMENDOUS PAIN AND HEARTACHE.

          IT ALL STARTS WITH A CONVERSATION BETWEEN GOD AND SATAN.     GOD ASK SATAN WHERE HE HAD BEEN AND SATAN TOLD GOD IN VERSE 7 OF CHAPTER 1, GOING TO AND FRO IN THE EARTH, AND FROM WALKING UP AND DOWN IN IT.   

          YOU MIGHT REMEMBER WHAT THE KJV BIBLE SAYS IN 1st PETER 5:8 "BE SOBER, BE VIGILANT; BECAUSE YOUR ADVERSARY THE DEVIL, AS A ROARING LION, WALKETH ABOUT, SEEKING WHOM HE MAY DEVOUR:"

          SATAN IS PICTURED AS A PROWLING LION WHO IS SEEKING SOMEONE TO DEVOUR.

          THE MENTION OF SUFFERING TWICE IN THE CONTEXT INDICATES THAT SATAN IS TO BE BLAMED FOR IT, BUT IS TO BE RESISTED WITH STRONG FAITH.

          SATAN WANTS TO CAUSE JOB SICKNESS AND SORROWS.     HE WANTS YOU AND ME TO HAVE SICKNESS AND SORROWS ALSO, HE REALLY WANTS TO KILL EACH OF US, BUT GOD WILL NOT ALLOW IT UNTIL OUR TIME IS FINISHED HERE ON THIS EARTH.     SO SATAN CAN NOT TOUCH GOD'S CHILDREN UNLESS GOD ALLOWS IT.

 JOB 1:8, 10, 12 (8)"AND THE LORD SAID UNTO SATAN, HAST THOU CONSIDERED MY SERVANT JOB, THAT THERE IS NONE LIKE HIM IN THE EARTH, A PERFECT AND UPRIGHT MAN, ONE THAT FEARETH GOD, AND ESCHEWETH EVIL? 

(10) " HAST NOT THOU MADE AN HEDGE ABOUT HIM, AND ABOUT HIS HOUSE, AND ABOUT ALL THAT HE HATH ON EVERY SIDE? THOU HAST BLESSED THE WORK OF HIS HANDS, AND HIS SUBSTANCE IN THE LAND."   

 (12)"AND THE LORD SAID UNTO SATAN, BEHOLD, ALL THAT HE HATH IS IN THY POWER; ONLY UPON HIMSELF PUT NOT FORTH THINE HAND. SO SATAN WENT FORTH FROM THE PRESENCE OF THE LORD."

          KEEP THIS IN MIND ABOUT THIS MAN CALLED JOB; HE NEVER KNEW WHY BAD THINGS WERE ABOUT TO HAPPEN TO HIM NEITHER DO WE.

          SATAN WITHIN A MATTER OF HOURS HAD WIPED OUT ALL OF JOB'S LIVESTOCK, RICHES AND SERVANTS EXCEPT (FOR THE FOUR THAT BROUGHT THE BAD NEWS) AND KILLED HIS FAMILY EXCEPT HIS WIFE.     EVERYTHING THAT GOD HAD BLESSED JOB WITH WAS GONE.

          WHAT DID JOB DO?

  VERSE 21 "AND SAID, NAKED CAME I OUT OF MY MOTHER'S WOMB, AND NAKED SHALL I RETURN THITHER: THE LORD GAVE, AND THE LORD HATH TAKEN AWAY; BLESSED BE THE NAME OF THE LORD."

 VERSE 22 "IN ALL THIS JOB SINNED NOT, NOR CHARGED GOD FOOLISHLY."

          WHAT A REMARKABLE STATEMENT FOR ANYONE TO MAKE, AND PARTICULARLY UNDER THE CIRCUMSTANCES.

          WHAT WOULD YOU HAVE SAID?

          MANY A CHURCH MEMBER HAS CURSED GOD AND LEFT THE CHURCH FOR GOOD OVER MUCH LESS THAN JOB SUFFERED.

          SATAN FAILED!     IN SPITE OF HIS LOSSES AND SUFFERING JOB DID NOT IMPUTE ANYTHING WRONG TO GOD.

          WE MUST CONTINUE TO LOVE GOD AND SERVE HIM, NO MATTER WHAT HAPPENS IN THIS LIFE.     WE MUST TRUST THAT GOD WILL WORK IT ALL OUT FOR HIS GLORY AND OUR ULTIMATE GOOD.

          THAT IS WHAT FAITH AND TRUST IS ALL ABOUT!

          AFTER ALL OF JOBS LOSS OF EVERYTHING HE HAD INCLUDING HIS FAMILY HE STILL TRUSTED IN THE LORD, BUT SATAN STEPS INTO JOBS LIFE AND STRUCK HIM WITH A SICKNESS NEAR DEATH.

          JOBS WIFE TELLS HIM TO CURSE GOD AND LET HIM KILL HIM, CHAPTER 2, VERSE 9.

          BUT JOB REMAINED FAITHFUL TO GOD, CHAPTER 2, VERSE 10.

          THREE OF JOBS FRIENDS CAME BY TO COMFORT HIM AND SET WITH HIM, BUT THEY ONLY SAID IN THE END THAT JOB MUST BE A WICKED MAN AND GOD IS PUNISHING HIM FOR HIS SIN.

          JOBS FRIENDS SOUND AND ACT LIKE SO MANY "GOOD" CHURCH MEMBERS TODAY WHEN THEY SEE A CHRISTIAN BROTHER OR SISTER STRUGGLING WITH LIFE.

          JOB RESPONDED TO THEM SOMETHING LIKE THIS: I BELIEVE GOD IS JUST AND POWERFUL AS YOU DO; BUT I AM NOT A HYPOCRITE. . . . I KNOW OF NO SIN BETWEEN ME AND GOD; I WOULD ARGUE MY CASE WITH GOD BUT I CANNOT FIND HIM; NEVERTHELESS, I WILL TRUST HIM, FOR HE WILL JUSTIFY ME EITHER IN THIS LIFE OR IN THE LIFE TO COME.

          OH, FOR THE GRACE AND TRUST IN GOD OF JOB!

          IT TOOK A GREAT DEAL OF FAITH AND TRUST FOR JOB TO ARGUE THIS WAY IN THE LIGHT OF HIS CIRCUMSTANCES.

          CONCLUSION:

          HOW ABOUT YOU?          HOW ABOUT ME?

          CAN WE TRUST GOD THROUGHOUT ALL OF OUR TRIALS AND TROUBLES AND SICKNESS?

          GOD IS COMPLETELY SOVEREIGN IN HIS DEALINGS WITH HIS PEOPLE AND WILL NEVER PERMIT ANYTHING TO COME IN THE LIFE OF A GENUINE CHRISTIAN THAT IS NOT FOR THEIR GOOD AND GOD'S GLORY.

          IT IS ENOUGH FOR US TO KNOW THAT HE CARES AND THAT HE NEVER MAKES A MISTAKE.

 WE SHOULD LIVE BY FAITH ON HIS PROMISES.

          DON'T KNOW THAT I WOULD HAVE THE FAITH OF JOB IF I WOULD LOSE ALL MY FAMILY AND EVERYTHING ELSE, BUT I PRAY THAT GOD WOULD GIVE ME ENOUGH FAITH AND GRACE TO MAKE IT THROUGH THIS LIFE AND JUST TO HEAR HIS WORDS AS HE SAYS, "WELL DONE MY GOOD AND FAITHFUL SERVANT."

          ADRIAN ROGERS SAID, "FAITH IS NOT ACCEPTING FROM GOD WHAT YOU WANT . . . . FAITH IS ACCEPTING FROM GOD WHAT HE GIVES."

          WHAT ABOUT YOUR FAITH?

          AMEN!