Then the Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil.”     

“Does Job fear God for nothing?” Satan replied. “Have you not put a hedge around him and his household and everything he has? You have blessed the work of his hands, so that his flocks and herds are spread throughout the land. But now stretch out your hand and strike everything he has, and he will surely curse you to your face.”

The Lord said to Satan, “Very well, then, everything he has is in your power, but on the man himself do not lay a finger.”

Then Satan went out from the presence of the Lord.     Job 1:8-12

 

At this, Job got up and tore his robe and shaved his head. Then he fell to the ground in worship and said: “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I will depart. The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised.” In all this, Job did not sin by charging God with wrongdoing.    Job 1:20-22

 

God allowed Job to be tested. And what he went through was the ultimate test. He was so blessed. Then suddenly everything he had was gone. He lost his wealth, his children, even his health. All of heaven was watching to see if he would turn his back on God when his “blessings” were removed. But Job passed the test with flying colors. I would give him an A+! “The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised”(Job 1:21).

Job 1:22 says, “In all this, Job did not sin by charging God with wrongdoing.”

Wow!

I don’t know anyone who has faced a test to the caliber of what Job faced. But we all have trials in this life. Life consists of a series of spiritual tests. Will we be found faithful? Will we pass the test?

But here’s what hit me as I read this passage. I cave for a whole lot less than Job did. I haven’t had all of my possessions, wealth, family, and health suddenly shattered, but it doesn’t take something to that degree to take me down. My tests come in packages like slow traffic, long lines, interruptions, comments, my daughter throwing a fit, a disagreement with my husband. And Rachel gets a big fat “F”!

Job’s treasure was in much more than his circumstances, wealth, family, and blessings. His greatest treasure was rooted in His relationship with His Lord. No doubt, he loved what he had. He enjoyed his blessings. He loved his children. But as we all know, we usually see a person’s true colors when the storms of life hit. And when all that was removed from Job and all he had was God, “he fell to the ground in worship” (Job 1:20).

That’s really impressive–and convicting!

So how can I bring my grade up? How do I go from a F to C or maybe even a B+? (I’m shooting a little high, I know!) Matthew 6:21 says, “Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.”

I need to work on making Him the treasure of my heart.

I’ve got to focus on deepening my relationship with Him. Spending time with Him. Reading and soaking up His precious Word consistently. Involving Him in my daily activities and conversations. Then I need to look a little closer at the circumstances that come my way and ask the Lord to help me view them through His lens.  And then handle them the way He wants me to.

That person or circumstance we face today might just turn out to be a God ordered pop quiz. 

I wonder…

Then the Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant ______(your name)? He/She_________.

What would the Lord tell Satan about us? Would we pass the test?