A Door of Devastation

O. T. #1111  "A Door of Devastation"
Dec. 8, 2017
Job 1-Part 4
I am the door; by Me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture. (words of Jesus in John 10:9)

LET IT GLOW

It may be that one phone call, a loud knock on the door, a cold text, facing words of hate, or hearing the results of a medical report, that come to inform us of the devastation that has happened to one of our loved ones or to us. Some of us have already opened the door of devastation. Instead of stiffening our heart and knees, we bend and fall down, pouring out the pain we feel to our compassionate God. Nothing takes Him by surprise.

Verse 13 begins: And there was a day... The scene shifts back to earth. Satan got what he wanted-the chance to cause Job to curse God. Did Satan have a plan? Boy, did he ever. The Adversary hit Job where it hurts. Yet, to Job that day, all appeared to be well. His grown children had gone over the Job Junior's house for a relaxing time together. Job, being the good father that he was, prayed for his children. Faithful Job worshiped the Lord and sacrificed unto Him on behalf of his children. He must have felt confident of the Lord's protection and favor. God's hedge of protection surrounded him and his house, family, and business. Job hadn't the foggiest idea what he was about to face.

Now it happened-the hedge was removed. Then comes the banging on the door of the big house. Once he opened the door, Job's life would never be the same. Four trembling messengers poured out their tragic reports, which they witnessed, one after another.
They regretfully reported;

1. The oxen that were plowing and the donkeys that were feeding beside them were attacked  by the Sabeans and took them all away. (Sebeans were terrorizing robbers from Arabia.)They killed Job's servants there, except for the one who escaped to tell Job.
2. Lightning fell from heaven and burnt up the sheep and Job's servants caring for them. The reporter was the only survivor.
3. A band of Chaldeans captured the camels and killed all of Job's servants but the reporter. (The Chaldeans were semi-nomadic people experienced in war.)
4. Job's children were all killed by a tornado clasping the oldest brother's house in which they eating. They are all dead.

All these events happened on the same day, almost simultaneously. Satan has some power over nature and the weather, but it does not supersede the power of God.
In all four catastrophes there was a loss of human life. Don't you think the news of the four devastations that Job heard kept playing over and over in his mind?

LET IT GROW

It seems that Job handled the first three events calmly. However, Satan had Job right where he wanted him. Surely Job would curse God after the fourth tragedy, so he thought.

How did Job respond? Verses 20-22 tell us:

• Job stood up and tore his robe in grief.
• He shaved his head as a sign of grief.
• Job fell to the ground in submission and humility and worshiped God. 

I just can't imagine the pain Job must have felt that day. Not only was he wiped out financially, loosing his high position in the community, but on the same day he lost his beloved children and his heritage. This most wealthy and powerful man in the East became a nobody overnight. The Adversary had done his work well, hadn't he? Yet it was to no avail. Instead of cursing his God like Satan said Job would do, Job worshiped.
Would we react the same way? Or would we curse God instead of worshiping Him? We like to think we would remain a faith a faithful servant of our God. Yet do we really know how we would react until faced with suck tragedy? (I pray none of us ever find our self at that crossroad.)

Let's not duke ourselves into thinking: God is going to replace Job's wealth and give him more children. Suck up Buttercup. Take it like a man. No, love and compassion does not do that.

My heart goes out those many families in the Sutherland Springs, Texas community that are missing their loved ones this Christmas season. May they hold onto the hope of Jesus in their hearts.

In our key verse above, Jesus is speaking of himself as the Good Shepherd who has come to give us life, abundant life, as He gives life to us His sheep.

LET IT GO

Be a true believer in Jesus as Savior with faith that can't be broken.
Yield a broken and bent heart to Jesus for mending.
Stay a faithful servant of God as I love others.
Meet devastation head on with the sword of the Spirit.