The Patience of Job

Here's how it all started: 

Yah said to Satan, 
"Have you noticed My servant Job? There is no one like him on earth, a blameless and upright man who fears Me and shuns evil!"

Satan voices his opinion on the subject, and then challenges Yahweh: 

"But lay Your hand upon all that he has and he will surely blaspheme You to Your face." 

Yah takes Satan up on this challenge and allows him do what he will to test Job, but forbids that he lay a hand on him and not to kill him.

Every bad thing that follows is from Satan. Never does Job suspect that Satan is behind his calamities nor does he blame YHWH for his sufferings. In fact, his entire ordeal, brought about by Satan, caused Job to draw closer to his Creator. Job even blesses YHWH for 'giving and taking away' after he learns of the death of his sons and daughters.  As poorly and sickly as Job was, he still humbled himself before YHWH Elohim, never blaming Him for his misfortunes. And here is how it ends up:

Job said to YHWH: 
I know that You can do everything, that nothing you propose is impossible for You. Who (am I) who obscures counsel without knowledge? Indeed, I spoke without understanding of things beyond me, which I did not know. Hear me now and I will speak; I will ask and You will inform me. I had heard You with my ears, but now I see You with my eyes; therefore, I recant and relent, being but dust and ashes."

 (oh how this pulls on my heart strings!)

Do you see the lesson, the example for us? How many times have you heard someone blame God for the bad things going on in their lives? Wouldn't laying the blame on Him be akin to one lacking in faith? Job was not lacking in faith but in understanding some things he thought he knew. Many of us have 'been there and done that' and it all comes back to being as little children and letting our Father tells us about those things we don't really understand... seems to be part of the reason for the indwelling of His Set Apart Spirit, which comforts us with the truth.

The whole book of Job is worth reading (again) and I suggest you put it on your list of things to do (again). His story is such an example for us; letting us know what to expect in the days to come. Job had everything through the blessings of YHWH, and was fenced in by His 'hedge of protection'. How horrible that Job's own wife tells him to "Blaspheme God and die!" Job replied: "You talk as any shameless woman might talk! Should we accept only good from Yahweh and not accept evil?" For all that, Job said nothing sinful. And then his friends show up and advise him by their own philosophies and not according to the ways of Yah. He was incensed at Job's friends for the bad advice and not telling the truth about Him.

Yahweh reveals much about Himself and reminds Job of just who He is and what He has done.

A time is coming when Yahweh will remove His hand that restrains evil and the strong delusion sets in. We must have the patience of Job, whom Yahweh allowed Satan to test. We must remain steadfast in our faith.

As an example, I can take all of this an apply it to my life (and others) in today's world. Sadly, I didn't start out upright, blameless or morally correct but, thankfully, have been on His Path of righteousness for several years now. In the beginning it was easy to get full of myself when discovering things in Scriptures I'd never seen before. It was easy to be tempted down those rabbit trails by other's speaking philosophically, taking advantage of this tenderfoot.  I no longer pretend to understand things beyond my understanding and have learned when to stop, correct my attitude and reset my spiritual compass. I can relate to Job's health issues because I suffer from a couple of different ailments that can cause pain so great all I can do is lay in bed for two or three days and wait for it to pass. It is during times like those that I can say "I wish I'd never been born..." but in no way am I blaming Yah for my physical condition. And I am thankful to be alive and for the blessings He has given me. My hope is in the Kingdom to come, and because of my faith my reward is the life of my soul - Halleluyah!!  I see His Glory and the good, the bad and the ugly in all of us, as pointed out by His Son. I have removed many a beam from my eyes so as to be of help to others on this same Path.

The patience of Job is a 'type and shadow' of how we Set Apart believers endure the hard times ahead... always committed to learning the truth of His Word, never wavering while resisting temptations.