Truth: Choose to serve God for who he is not what he gives. The question driving the book of Job is not why is Job suffering? The question is, why is Job righteous? Satan accuses Job of serving God not for who he is, but for what he gives.

Response: Why are you serving God? Do you serve God for nothing? Do you serve God for what he gives or for who he is? Repent of serving God for any selfish motives or desires. Pray that God gives you the desire to serve him for who he is and not for what you receive from him.  

Truth: Realize that not all your suffering is God’s punishment for your sin. God in his wisdom, power, and goodness allows his children to suffer for reasons and purposes we don’t understand. God’s plans and purposes are higher and greater than we could ever know. Your suffering is never pointless even if it appears to be. Even when you don’t understand, you must trust God’s heart and His plan.

Response: We often suffer. We sometimes understand. We can always trust. Are you asking God to speak and accepting his correction when it comes? How can you prepare for suffering that will inevitably come in your life? How can you trust God more in preparation for that suffering? Pray that God will increase your faith as you study his word and rely on him for your life.

Truth: Remember true wisdom is found in God alone.  Ultimately, the book of Job is not about suffering. The book of Job is about wisdom. The book of Job answers the question, “Where is wisdom to be found?” Knowing where wisdom is found should renew our vows, so to speak, with God.

Response: God’s will for our lives is vaster and grander than our personal happiness or success. Where are you looking for wisdom? Do you believe God in his wisdom has all the right answers to your “why” questions? Just as God was willing to allow wicked men to put Jesus on the cross to accomplish the work of salvation, he can use bad for good. Pray for continued faith that God could use something that could only be described as bad for good in your life.

Family Response

Truth:  Job learned a valuable truth about God that is helpful for us as well.  God can be trusted even when we don’t understand what He’s doing or why He’s doing it.  It might sound simplistic, but God is God and we are not. Faith is learning to embrace God’s trustworthiness in our actions, attitudes, and words.

Response:  Dr. Walker used the example of LifeProof phone cases on Sunday.  But how do you know who really has faith that the case is lifeproof?  It’s the people who use it at the beach and take it in the water on purpose.  It’s the people who act like the product will do exactly what it says it will do.  My kids love to watch Flex Seal commercials because Phil Swift acts like his product does exactly what he says it does.  Check out his faith in action with a quick Internet search of some of his humorous commercials. Whether you have faith in these products or not, these products have limits.  They are only lifeproof under certain circumstances and conditions. On the other hand, God is faith-worthy under all circumstances and conditions.