Have you ever had one of those days when everything seems to go wrong?   One such man  named Job did, only his bad day was a bad day on steroids. In one day he lost everything that took a lifetime to build.   7000 sheep… gone, 3000 camels…gone, 500 yoke of oxen…gone, 500 female donkeys….gone.  All his many servants except the ones delivering the message of his loss…gone. Then the blow of all blows, he was told his seven sons and three daughters died in a furious storm causing a house to caved in on them.  I don’t know if my first reaction to such a day would be to worship, but that was exactly what Job did.   These events all  happen in the first chapter of Job, and one might think;  how much worse could things get?  Then chapter two happens, Job looses his health and his wife encourages him to curse God and die. In the chapters following this Job had three friends who came out to comfort him, but after a while begin to tell him he needs to repent.  His friends logic: surly he had sinned in some way to cause all these tragities to come to him.  I have read this account of Job’s life many times over the years, and I am alway impressed with his reaction to his tragities.  He fell to the ground and worshipped.   Worship is easier when everything is going good but the times in life when things heat up many scream like a tea kettle.  How is it that Job reacted in such a manner as worship?  Many would understand if he reacted in other ways….but to worship in a time such as this, How would this even be possible?  Let’s look how Job lived before the disasters came into his life.

     First, we see that Job was blameless. There was a man in the land of Uz whose name was Job, and that man was blameless and upright, one who feared God and turned away from evil . Job 1:1 ESV  Jobs life was a testimony to many. The fact that he was blameless and upright is no small thing in life.  He feared God which proved he was a very wise man.   (Proverbs 1:7… 9:10… 15:33)  Job  would not entertain or see how close he could get to sin/evil but rather turned away.

      Second, we see Job living intentionally for God. His sons used to go and hold a feast in the house of each one on his day, and they would send and invite their three sisters to eat and drink with them.  And when the days of feast had run their course, Job would send and consecrate them, and he would rise early in the morning and offer burnt offering according to the number of them all. For Job said, “It may be that my children have sinned, and cursed God in their hearts.”  Thus Job did continually.  Job  1:4-5 ESV

      Thirdly,  We see God knew him as one who honored Him.  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 from evil?” Job 1:8 ESV  

         Worship, for Job, was a practice he did everyday.   When a person is under pressure, it is said that what is really inside will manifest itself; in the case of Job, worship from his lips and in his actions.  I must be honest I am not sure how I would react to such calamity in life.  I would like to think I would respond with worship as Job did, but no one really knows until difficult times happen.   But this I do believe. If you live the Christian life casually and not intentionally, you will not be as prepared.  Job’s worship of God did not depend upon everything going good but rather in the fact that God is on his throne and still in control.

   In the world today may we live worshipping God.  May it be intentional  in good times and in the times we may wish had never came our way.

Because of His Grace ~ Pastor David.