By: Barb Nave
As I was studying through the Book or JOB…this thought began to be “birthed” in me. It isn’t anything I’ve pondered for years…no, it just came as a “Rhema” word. The questions I was pondering were: “Is the Book of Job an allegory or is it history?”, “Is Job one singular person with a particular time of existence or is he perhaps like Adam, a real man, both historical and allegorical, the representation of all humanity in all generations? I have come to the conclusion…Job is both…an allegory and history!
An allegory that tells of the struggles of us GOD’s most precious creation whom He created in HIS image. I love the term… “and there was a day”… We still use that phrase…it just takes one moment, one day when disaster strikes, and we will forever say…”and there was a day!” The scriptures don’t define the exact “day” or “generation” when Job’s terrible journey began…when Satan was given permission to sift him. I sensed that The LORD GOD gave Satan permission on that same day to sift all of us…all generations…all people. GOD, in giving that permission also knows that Satan could do a lot of “harm” to God’s children, but that Satan cannot take our life! Especially understandable more clearly for those of us who live after the cross and have eternal life in Christ. We have been sealed with the deposit of the Holy Spirit until the day of our full redemption.
Trials can and will test us. We can get angry, bitter, frustrated. We can be tempted to doubt or blame GOD, or we can press into the heart of GOD and grow stronger and more confident in our trust of GOD’s sovereign reign knowing that HE is good and HE does good!
So, in the Book of Job, we get a glimpse of one who does not cave in under the most incredible sorrow and destruction of every area of his life. His total identity was attacked. Yet, Job was found to hold strong to his righteousness. It is an allegory of each one of our lives to encourage us to remain righteous and steadfast trusting in GOD because “In this world you will have tribulation, but be of good cheer, for I (CHRIST JESUS) have overcome the world!”
But it is also history…HIS STORY…in our lives. Every one of us will “have a day” when Satan plans to take away from us the things he thinks those things are the reason for our love for GOD. Satan thinks our love for GOD is only because of GOD’s gifts…family, possessions, health, status, etc. Each one of us will have HIS STORY in our lives to define us as one who has a religion or as one with a relationship. It will define the depth of that relationship as well. It is in the refining and defining of our character that we see GOD more clearly. Perhaps it is the simple moment that we realize that we are HIS. Out of that sifting, we can bear good fruit, or we can develop bitter roots and wither and die.
We are given Job’s story to encourage us to live a righteous life. I have thought many times that surely Job missed his first family. I’ve wondered how his sorrow could be replaced with joy as he received his second family. But today I wonder…maybe his life is a picture of the fullness of our life cycle. Maybe it’s the restoration heaven brings and that is what gave back to Job full joy instead of great sorrow. The Book of Job does say in the closing chapter…”Job lived to see four generations and died an old man full of days.” Is part of the lesson we learn is the realization that life is more than what we experience on the earth…there is SO MUCH MORE to all our stories!
In Job we see the beginning and the end. Yet we can also see the continuation of “HIS STORY” in our lives as we hold on by faith until we see “the face of The LORD in the land of the living!” and we live in His Presence eternally.
My one defense is my righteousness in CHRIST!
Barb Nave
This devotional piece was written by a staff member of HisHighPlaces.Org. We are a Christ-based non-profit Counseling Intensive Ministry. Our clients are seen by counselors whose “heart cry” is to “show broken people HOPE and to be encouraged that they are LOVED, VALUED, and that each one has a future and purpose with GOD. We do not do group therapy. We do individualized and couple sessions with the Counselors.