Lessons from The Book of Job

Today’s Passage – Job 1 – 4

Second Milers also read – Galatians 4 – 6, Ephesians 1; Psalm 21 – 25; Proverbs 5

Scripture Memory for June – Psalm 139

Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – 1 John 4:7 & 8

Read an older post from today’s passage – “The Road May Be Long”

“Then Job arose, and rent his mantle, and shaved his head, and fell down upon the ground, and worshipped, And said, Naked came I out of my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return thither: the LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD. In all this Job sinned not, nor charged God foolishly.” – (Job 1:20-22)

Job is an amazing passage of Scripture. It helps us understand a side of suffering that perhaps we would not be able to figure out without it. Job is a man that suffered tremendously at the hand of Satan, and with the permission of God. However, the curious part about Job’s suffering was the fact that he did not do anything to cause it. In other words, the suffering was not brought on as a result of his sin or as some type of a judgment from God. On the contrary, Job was put through the fire because he was a righteous man. He was a man that “feared God and eschewed (put away; kept it far from him) evil”. We like to think that if someone lives a life like Job lived that his life will be free from problems; however, this is not the case.

From this passage, we can learn some things about the Christian life:

1 If you live your life fearing God and eschewing evil, you will have the blessing of God. When we speak of Job, we always focus on his season of suffering. However, Job’s life overall was a life that was blessed tremendously by the Lord. He did, in fact, have that hedge of protection around him and his family for most of his life.

2 If you live a life like Job lived you will have the attention of God; but Satan will also be personally aware of you. Satan had, in fact, considered Job. I don’t know if Satan even knows my name. I’m sure there are some devils who know me well; but Satan? Job, who is neither omniscient nor omnipresent, had been paying close attention to Job.

3 Satan, if given the opportunity, will destroy you. He hates you almost as much as he hates God. The good news is that Satan is on a leash. He cannot do what God does not permit him to do.

4 God will only permit Satan to do what you are able to handle.

“There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.” (1 Corinthians 10:13)

5 God will eventually remove the suffering. He gave back Job double of everything He allowed Satan to take from him. God even gave him ten more children in addition to the ten that were waiting for him in Heaven.

6. People may not understand what you are going through, or why you are going through it. Job’s wife wanted him to just give up, and Job’s friends accused him of all kinds of bad things, which simply were not true.

Learn these lessons from Job. When suffering comes your way, don’t think that God is not aware or not even personally involved in it. Try to learn the lesson that God may be trying to teach you through the suffering and glorify Him in the suffering. Our God is a loving Heavenly Father who only does what is right. Trust Him!

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Lessons From Job

Today's Passage - Job 1 - 3 Job is an amazing passage of Scripture. It helps us understand a side of suffering that perhaps we would not be able to figure out without it. Job is a man that suffered tremendously at the hand of Satan, and with the permission…

June 11, 2010

In "Devotions"

Phil Erickson

Pastor Phil Erickson has been the pastor of Jersey Shore Baptist Church since January of 2002. Having grown up in Ocean County, Pastor Phil has always had a burden for the south Jersey area. After graduating from Bible College in Longview, Texas, he and his family moved to Galloway Township with the vision of digging in and serving the Lord and the people of Atlantic County. Pastor Phil and Cindy Erickson have been married since 1985. They have four children and ten grandchildren. Their oldest son, Phil Jr. and his wife Katelyn are serving the Lord in Egg Harbor Twp., NJ. Their oldest daughter, Melissa, is married to Wesley Clayton who is in the Air Force and is currently stationed in New Mexico. Samantha, their third child, is married to Justin Mears and they are both serving the Lord at the church in Galloway. Hannah, the youngest, is married to Lucas McCollum, and they are also serving here in Galloway. In preparation for ministry, the Lord led him through a variety of educational experiences that have equipped him to serve the Lord and His people. He earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Georgian Court University, a Bachelor of Biblical Studies in Pastoral Theology from Texas Independent Baptist Seminary (formerly Texas Baptist College), a Master of Religious Education in Bible from West Coast Baptist College, and a Master of Biblical Studies from The Crown College. More recently, he completed a Graduate Certificate in Biblical Counseling and a Doctor of Ministry degree from Veritas Baptist College. He is thankful for these opportunities to study God’s Word more deeply, and counts it a privilege to use whatever knowledge the Lord has given him for the building up of His church. In addition to pastoring, the Lord has given Phil the wonderful privilege of teaching as an adjunct professor at Vision Baptist College in Berlin, NJ and Veritas Baptist College.

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View Comments

joe R says:

June 5, 2012 at 11:20 pm

Amen. Praise the Lord. The book of Job is very helpful in our daily lives. It helps us realized that God is always interested in our problems, trials, and sufferings in our lives. Always turn to God and believe that He will turn it right in His will and power. This is my prayer, to trust Him completely. Thanks Pastor Phil.