There is so much we can learn from the Job story. Job had three parts to his life. The blessing, the testing, and the double blessings. This story is meant to teach us so many things. Job learned a powerful lesson from his trials and test. Job starts as a blessed man, enters the testing period, and ends the story with a double portion of God’s blessings. However, there’s a lot of story in between. Come with me on this exciting bible adventure through the book of Job.
The story starts in the Blessing Phase. At the beginning of the story he is a a blessed and righteous man of God. He was known for his integrity. He had his reputation, family, friends, and wealth. He had a very good life.
Then the story starts to venture down the testing Phase. (Job 1:6) Satan begins to go after this man of God. Satan told God that Job only loved him for his blessings. God defends Job. Satan said if you take his blessings away he won’t praise you. So Job enters the testing period. Job’s cattle get stolen, his sheep get struck with lightning, he looses money, his children die. And yet, Job still praised God.
The devils plans didn’t work so well. So satan goes back to the throne room 
of God and again begins to argue with God. He says, he won’t love you if he gets sick. God again defends Job. At this point the testing gets more intense. (Job 2:1) His wife begins to grumble about God at this point. Job’s friends discourage him and doubt his integrity. (Job 2:11) I can’t help but wonder if the friends missed out on an incredible opportunity to build up their friend. The friends words brought discouragement instead of hope. The heaviness and burdens of life do start to make Job doubt a little. I like to cut Job a little slack here, because most of us start to doubt God the minute we stub our toe. Later in the story another friend goes to visit Job. (Job 32:1) This friend named Elihu speaks words of life and encouragement to Job. Elihu encourages him by saying, (Job 33:14) God always answers, one way or another, even when people don’t recognize his presence.
Then Job has this incredible life changing conversation with God. (Job 38:1) God and Job have a heart to heart dialogue about his situation. You see God is very relational. He wants to do have an intimate relationship with us. God teaches Job a powerful lesson that would behoove us to learn as well. God begins to speak from His compassionate heart to Job’s conflicted spirit. God shows Job he was looking at his circumstances through earthly eyes. God goes on to explain that only through spiritual eyes can you fully grasp is happening in the heaven-lies. Job learns he was looking at it with earthly eyes instead of spiritual eyes. Job replaces his earthly eyes with a new set of spiritual eyes and begins to grasp the heart of God. Job didn’t hear the conversations between satan and God. Job didn’t hear God defending him in the thrown room of heaven. Job had taken his eyes off of God and put them on his circumstances.
Here’s an important part of the story. Job repents for his earlier words and attitude. Now hold on my friends here comes the good stuff. After Job’s repentance he enters the double blessings phase of life. (Job 42:10) God restored all of Jobs wealth and doubled the amount of possessions he had before he lost them. Job had 10 more children and lived to be 140 years after his suffering. He saw his grandchildren and great grandchildren be born and grow up before he died.
Some of you find your self in the testing portion of life. I chose to share the Job story to encourage your heart. We can learn some powerful life lessons from Job’s journey through life. Praise your way through the testing until you get to the double portion. You can’t see or hear with earthly eyes what your father in heaven is saying or doing on your behalf. Are you looking at your situation with earthly eyes? Perhaps it would help to begin to look at your situation through spiritual eyes. Look through the lens of God. Ask God to give you spiritual eyes and ears to see and hear. Perhaps God will give you a revelation like he did Job. Trust the hand and heart of God while you work your way through the testing.
I leave you with these final thoughts to consider. Do you only love God when he blesses you? Is your love for God still as passionate during the testing phase? Could God be testing your love and commitment to Him? Will you still love Him if He doesn’t answer your prayer?
Let the angles in heaven declare, and yet he/she praised God through the testing.
