Stuck in the Middle

Job’s First Test

Job 1:6-12 (NLT)

6 One day the members of the heavenly court came to present themselves before the Lord, and the Accuser, Satan, came with them. 

7 “Where have you come from?” the Lord asked Satan.

Satan answered the Lord, “I have been patrolling the earth, watching everything that’s going on.”

8 Then the Lord asked Satan, “Have you noticed my servant Job? He is the finest man in all the earth. He is blameless—a man of complete integrity. He fears God and stays away from evil.”

9 Satan replied to the Lord, “Yes, but Job has good reason to fear God. 

10 You have always put a wall of protection around him and his home and his property. You have made him prosper in everything he does. Look how rich he is! 

11 But reach out and take away everything he has, and he will surely curse you to your face!”

12 “All right, you may test him,” the Lord said to Satan. “Do whatever you want with everything he possesses, but don’t harm him physically.” So Satan left the Lord’s presence.

This is what Job didn't know.  He didn't know about this conversation between God and the Devil.  

Sometimes crisis comes without context.  Sometimes a crisis will cause us to question God.  We must not underestimate the strength and power of God within us.  

Job was living in a dream into living in a nightmare.  Job lost it all.  

Job’s Second Test

Job 2:1-10  (NLT)

2 One day the members of the heavenly court came again to present themselves before the Lord, and the Accuser, Satan, came with them. 

2 “Where have you come from?” the Lord asked Satan.

Satan answered the Lord, “I have been patrolling the earth, watching everything that’s going on.”

3 Then the Lord asked Satan, “Have you noticed my servant Job? He is the finest man in all the earth. He is blameless—a man of complete integrity. He fears God and stays away from evil. And he has maintained his integrity, even though you urged me to harm him without cause.”

4 Satan replied to the Lord, “Skin for skin! A man will give up everything he has to save his life. 

5 But reach out and take away his health, and he will surely curse you to your face!”

6 “All right, do with him as you please,” the Lord said to Satan. “But spare his life.” 

7 So Satan left the Lord’s presence, and he struck Job with terrible boils from head to foot.

8 Job scraped his skin with a piece of broken pottery as he sat among the ashes. 

9 His wife said to him, “Are you still trying to maintain your integrity? Curse God and die.”

10 But Job replied, “You talk like a foolish woman. Should we accept only good things from the hand of God and never anything bad?” So in all this, Job said nothing wrong.

This is what Job did know.  

Job 19:25-26  (NLT)

²⁵ “But as for me, I know that my Redeemer lives,
    and he will stand upon the earth at last.
²⁶ And after my body has decayed,
    yet in my body I will see God!

A redeemer means to convert something meaningless into something that counts.  

1. Job knew that God is good. 

 The character of God must not be interpreted through our circumstances.  God is good even when bad things are happening.  

2.  Job knew that God is sovereign.

God is not confused by what's happening to us.   

3. Job knew that God is trustworthy.  

Job 13:15  (NKJV)

¹⁵ Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him.

We must decide in advance that we will trust God.  

This is what Job did.  

Job 1:20-22 (NKJV)

20 Then Job arose, tore his robe, and shaved his head; and he fell to the ground and worshiped. 

21 And he said:

“Naked I came from my mother’s womb,
And naked shall I return there.
The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away;
Blessed be the name of the Lord.”

22 In all this Job did not sin nor charge God with wrong.

Job first worshiped.  

Worship is about putting God first.  God is shaking things up.  Things have become our idols.  God is looking for purity.  You can't look for a full time God with a part time commitment.  

Job filtered out wrong voices.  Job's wife told him to curse God and then die.  Job's friends accused him of sin.  We must attach all difficulty to sin.  

Job kept moving forward.  

Job 17:9 (NLT)

⁹ The righteous keep moving forward,

    and those with clean hands become stronger and stronger

Don't get stuck in the middle.  Have the best day that you can have today.  

Job 42:10 (NLT)

10 When Job prayed for his friends, the Lord restored his fortunes. In fact, the Lord gave him twice as much as before!

God's will is for us to come out better than we started.