Satan tests Job

The Book of Job Chapter 1


There was a man name Job who lived in Uz. He was a blameless man of integrity and he feared God and stayed away from evil. He had seven sons and three daughters and owned seven thousand sheep, three thousand camels, five hundred teams of oxen, five hundred female donkeys and employed many servants. He was the richest man in his area.

Every year for Job's sons birthdays, the family got together to celebrate and often the celebrating last several days. Job would purify his children by getting up early and presenting a burnt offering for each of them. One day the angels came to the Lord and Satan the Accuser came with them. Satan told the Lord that he had been going back and forth across the earth watching everything that went on. The Lord asked if Satan had noticed his servant Job, a fine man and one who had nothing to do with evil.


Satan replied that Job feared God, but only because God protected him from harm. Satan made it look like God had made Job prosperous and rich, but he said that if God took away everything Job had, he would curse the Lord to his face. The Lord told Satan to go ahead and test Job, but not to harm him physically.


One day when Job's daughters and sons were dining at the oldest brother's house, a messenger arrived at Job's house with the news his oxen and donkeys were stolen by the Sabeans who also killed all Job's farm hands. Then a second messenger came and said the fire of God fell from heaven and burned up all his sheep and shepherds. Still a third messenger came and said Chaldan raiders stole his camels and killed his servants. A fourth messenger came and said a powerful wind hit the oldest brother's house where all Job's children dined, and the house collapsed killing them all.


Job tore his robe in grief and shaved his head and fell to the ground before God. He said though he be stripped of everything he had, he still praised the name of the Lord. He blamed God for nothing.


BIBLE NOTES SHOW: The Bible speaks of heavenly councils where God and the angels plan their activities on earth and where angels are required to give accounts of themselves. (I Kings 22: 19-23) But God has complete power and authority over them. Satan tries to hinder God's work in people, but he too is limited by God's power.



HOW DOES THIS CHAPTER RELATE TO US TODAY? Job was an honest person committed to God and a perfect target for Satan to test through deception and lies. Don't let the times of long ago fool you. Satan is alive and well today and he continues to look to those committed to God. We should all expect Satan's attacks because he hates God and hates God's people. Satan's reasoning is that we all love and fear God when things are going well, but when adversity strikes, we let it destroy our faith. How wrong is Satan! Adversity strengthens real faith, by causing us to dig deeper into God.

I know there are those of you out there who do not believe in Satan. You deny his existence. But he is very real. All you have to do is watch the evening news and you can see Satan's handiwork. Be aware that your God loves us all! The best way to hamper Satan is to thank the Lord in every way.


Yours in Christ,
Mary


Prayer Requests are needed for:
HEALTH:
Update on my niece Suzanne, she is healing but her leg was crushed and will take many months of doctoring. She is in a nursing home for rehab care. Pray for her healing. Also Gabe, Wanda, Pray for Janice Long’s parents, especially her mother whose cancer has returned and her father with Alzheimer’s and now her mother in law also with Alzheimer’s. Their family is feeling the strain both emotionally and financially. Pray for them. Update on this family: Her mother-in-law is being taken to Oklahoma to live with an aunt who will care for her.
Pray for Arlene’s nephew David and for my neighbor Al who is nearing the end of his life.
Pray for Carolyn’s brother Ronald who has cancer.
Pray for our friend Michelle who was diagnosed with MS.
Pray for Cyndi Sullivan who made it six years with cancer but may now go home with hospice in her final days.
Pray for my cousin Diane who had total mastectomy surgery for breast cancer.
UPDATE on Barb who went in for back surgery and had a heart attack and stroke, she has her speech back and is home , but continues to have a problem with one arm and hand. Thanks to your prayers, she is able to hobble without a cane and has been granted disability. She still has surgery scheduled on her hand, but I saw her recently and her attitude is fantastic.
Pray for Robert Sargent who is quite ill with lung cancer.
Pray for Judy’s husband who was recently diagnosed with prostate cancer. Pray for her too, that she can deal with the side effects of his illness.
Pray too for Charly’s husband Robert who is undergoing chemo for his prostate cancer.
Pray for John’s recovery from a heart attack and for the doctors who have difficulty diagnosing his other symptoms.
Pray for James’s sister Cynthia whose chemo has lost its effect as the cancer grows powerful.
SPIRITUAL UPLIFTING: Gail, Mary
RESTORATION OF FAITH: Al, John
LOVE AND SUPPORT: Claire, Hunter, Brian
SUPPORT: Haiti, Chile, survivors of Japan’s earthquake, survivors of the devastating tornadoes in our southernmost states and Joplin, Missouri. Pray too, for our country’s leaders and our military people who die each day for our freedom.