Day #71

Begin this time in prayer.  Praise Him, thank Him, pray for others, and then pray for yourself.  Ask Him to help you get what we are about to study on today.

Please read James 5:11.

This verse is where James is reminding people, in times of suffering, to remember Job and what he endured.  Why?  Because Job was referred to as… steadfast in his suffering.

Steadfast (definition) – fixed; unchanging; steady; loyal; constant; unswerving; firm in belief; full of determination.

Yes, Job was all of these in absolutely miserable conditions.  Because of his steadfastness, the Bible refers to him as a “blessed” guy!

As we read up on Job today, please bring out your notes.  You will need them.  I want you to pay particular attention to the trials that Job faced and how he reacted to them.  What about his wife?  What were her reactions?  And finally, pay careful attention to the devil in this area of scripture.  What were his actions?  What does this show you are the devil’s limitations?

A description of Job’s character:

Please read Job 1:1-6.

1.    What was Job like?

2.    What all did Job have?

3.    What do his children do regularly?

4.    What does Job do as soon as their feasting ends?   Why?

Please read Job 1:6-12.

1.    What does God ask Satan?

2.    What does Satan say is the reason that Job is so faithful to God?

3.    What, then, is Satan is allowed to do?  What is he NOT allowed to do?

The First TEST 

Please read Job 1:13-22.

1.    What did the first first messenger say?

2.    What did the second messenger say?

3.    What did the third messenger say?

4.    What did the fourth messenger say?

5.    What was Job’s reaction?

The Second TEST

Please read Job 2:1-10.

1.    What did God ask Satan?

2.    What was the reason Satan gave for Job’s continued faithfulness to God?

3.    What was Satan, then, allowed to do?  What was he NOT allowed to do?

4.    What is Job’s wife’s reaction? 

5.    How does Job react to his suffering and his wife’s reaction?

As we end today’s lesson, I would like to give a brief description of Job’s friends Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar because we can learn a great deal from them... good and bad.  

The GOOD: These three all came to Job in his suffering.  They wept with him, they cried out to God for him, and they showed signs of mourning for him and sharing in his sufferings.  They even sat with him for 7 days and 7 nights and never said a word because they knew his suffering was great.

The BAD:

NOTE: To rebuke means to criticize sharply; to seriously correct someone.

Please read Job 42. 
What is so sad about these three is that they end up being a great discouragement to Job.  They foolishly cursed God for what had happened to their friend and it greatly influenced Job.   Because of their actions, Job becomes a complainer and a doubter of God’s justice.  At the very end of the book, though, God confronts Job and we see where Job finally comes clean before the Lord and he chooses to speak truth about God (Job 42:1-6).  We finally see that these three friends get rebuked by the Lord for their foolish actions (Job 42:7-9).  

The beginning of the book of Job shows the friends praying for Job, yet in the end they were the ones that needed Job’s prayers (Job 42:9).  Isn't that ironic?

TARGET of the DAY

Job was tested in the toughest of ways.  We did not read the entire book of Job today, but, from where we left off Job becomes increasingly broken.  In the end, however, his testing strengthened him tremendously.  God remained faithful.

How do you behave when you are squeezed?  Last week we learned that in times of testing, we are really being squeezed like a tube of toothpaste.  When we are squeezed, what is inside our hearts comes out.  What comes out of you when you are squeezed?  Do you remain steadfast?  Do you begin complaining and doubting God’s justice?  Do you listen to friends or family that doubt God?  Tough questions!!

How are you as a friend?  Do you encourage people in their suffering (testing)?  Do you even notice these things?  If you do notice the hurting, do you lift their eyes to the Lord and His goodness?  Do you share in their suffering?  Do you cry when they cry?  Do you pray with them and get in the muck of life with them?  Or do you keep your distance and let them tough it out on their own?  Tough questions!!