Job 2:9,10

"Then said his wife unto him, Dost thou still retain thine integrity? Curse God, and die. But he said unto her, Thou speakest as one of the foolish women speaketh. What? Shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil? In all this did not Job sin with his lips."

After having lost his children and everything that he owned, Job's wife counseled him to curse God. Job's response to her gets the commendation of God. At the end of this passage it is recorded that, "In all this did not Job sin with his lips." He refused to blame God for his trial, as he was advised. He chose rather to stand up for God. The most wonderful thing that Job had going for him was his reliance upon God, even in this most difficult trial. Ultimately, God restored all to Job, as recorded in the end of the book. But, had God never restored his wealth, Job would still have trusted Him. In fact, in Job 13:15 Job says, "... though He slay me, yet will I trust in Him."

Job asks his wife, "Shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil?" Job is not saying that God will bless and harm arbitrarily. This is not the way of the God of the universe. Job is telling his wife that God is in charge, and has a far better view of things than we. From God's perspective there will come times to set aside blessing for pruning. We all know that there are times of blessing in life, and there are times of heartache. We cannot honestly expect that we will only be blessed and prosperous. This does not mesh with the realities of life. So should we curse God when things go sour? Certainly not!

There is a tendency to assume that since God is good, then we should expect nothing but good from Him. If something comes our way that is not good (as we see it) then either it is not from God, or God was unable to prevent the thing. The crucial concept in rectifying this is how is "good" defined. Is our view of what is good the determining factor concerning whether a thing really is good or not? We generally define good as what makes us feel good. But this is a short-sighted view. Our own pleasure is hardly a valid measuring stick. For what if something that we enjoy brings pain to someone else? Arsenic has a pleasant flavor (or so I have been told). But it is not good. The only useful measure of good must be higher than we ourselves. Since God made us, it is reasonable to conclude that He knows what is the proper definition of "good." Scripture tells us that God will not allow us to be tempted beyond that we are able (to bear). He remembers our frame, that we are dust. And within that context He works with us gently to conform us to the image of His Son only doing that which is ultimately for our good.

Job's troubles were at the instigation of the enemy of our souls (satan), and allowed by God. The enemy was the one that God used to bring these things to pass in Job's life. Job didn't know that, but the thing that Job knew was God is in control. There is nothing that escapes Him. Scripture tells is that everything that occurs in the life of one of His is always turned for good. Even the most awful events God turns to His glory, and the good of the one suffering through them. The question is whether we will trust Him for the thing. The hard thing is God does not always make things work out in a day. Can we still trust Him when the thing takes years to play out? To do anything else is to (as Job says it), "...speak as the foolish speak."

Let us not sin with our lips, blaming God. Rather, let us praise Him all the while looking for the image of Christ in our own lives.

HJK