FAITH CAPSULE: Job feared God.

Job 42

After Job had lostall (not some) of his material possessions and his children, he was struck by painful boils. Job 2:7, “So Satan went out from the presence of the LORD, and struck Job with painful boils…”  Imagine a man described by the Almighty God as, blameless and upright man who fear God and shun evil, being struck by painful boils. Painful boil is one of the covenant curses for the disobedient ones. It is written in Deuteronomy 28:35, “The LORD will strike you in the knees and on the legs with severe boils which cannot be healed, and from the sole of your foot to the top of your head.” There was no documentation of any violation of God that calls for the covenant curse on Job. However, it happened to Job that was upright and blameless. Your challenge has gone far enough and spouse, family and friends are despising you while church families are questioning your faith—disallow discouragement God alone is the righteous judge. All kinds of advice and accusation were diverted at Job by his friends yet, Job did not sin in all of his response to friends. Job was a righteous man but his righteousness is not to claim that God owes him. Job 34:5 states that, “For Job has said, I am righteous but God has taken away my justice.” God owes no man but man owes God in all of his being. The Lord pointed out in response to Job, “Who has preceded Me, that I should pay him? Everything under heaven is Mine.”(Job 41:11)  It can be concluded here that God owes no man and He is not obligated to reward man.
Through it all, Job spoke of God what is right. Job submitted to God and he affirmed God’s unconditional sovereignty of his life. In the face of all that turned against Job, God responded, “Now the LORD blessed the latter days of Job more than his beginning; for he had fourteen thousand sheep, six thousand camels, one thousand yoke of oxen, and one thousand female donkeys. He also had seven sons and three daughters. And he called the name of the first Jemimah, the name of the second Keziah, and the name of the third Keren-Happuch. In all the land were found no women so beautiful as the daughters of Job; and their father gave them an inheritance among their brothers. After this Job lived one hundred and forty years, and saw his children and grandchildren for four generations.”(Job 42:12-16) Job stayed through the course of his challenge and crossed over into God’s blessing for his life. God is true to His word just as it is written, “The Lord takes pleasure in those who fear Him, in those who hope in His mercy.” (Psalm 147:11) Job feared God.       

Prayer for today: Ask God’s fear to reign and rule your heart.