I think of life as a test mainly because of the Book of Job. In this largely ignored and misunderstood book of the Bible, it begins with a host of angels presenting themselves before the Lord. We don’t understand exactly why, but we do know that angels are God’s servants. Perhaps they are answering to God for what they’ve been doing.
We may find it unusual that Satan is there as well. It’s not unusual. Though he has been kicked out of heaven, Satan still answers to God. And it’s God who opens the dialogue with Satan in Job 1:7, when He says,
The Lord said to Satan, “From where do you come?” Then Satan answered the Lord and said, “From roaming about on the earth and walking around on it.”
Then a very strange thing happens. God draws Satan’s attention to Job. Verse eight says,
The Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered My servant Job? For there is no one like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, fearing God and turning away from evil.”
Why would God do this? Why would He point out Job to Satan? It’s because life is a test and Job’s great testing moment has arrived. Few face testing to the extent of Job, but we all face testing.
And Satan, full of false confidence as he always is, challenges God’s high estimation of Job’s character, verses nine through eleven –
Then Satan answered the Lord, “Does Job fear God for nothing? Have You not made a hedge about him and his house and all that he has, on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land. But put forth Your hand now and touch all that he has; he will surely curse You to Your face.”
Satan’s argument to God is that Job is only faithful because God has caused him to prosper. This may be true of some who claim to belong to God but never truly have, but this can never be true of one who truly belongs to God.
God then accepts Satan’s challenge and replies in verse twelve –
“Behold, all that he has is in your power, only do not put forth your hand on him.” So Satan departed from the presence of the Lord.
In the next verses of Job Chapter 1, we read of Satan taking away all of Job’s wealth and killing Job’s children in what appears to be a weather event, but is actually the work of Satan.
Job’s response? Vs 21 –
“Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I shall return there. The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away. Blessed be the name of the Lord.”
Job passed the test. In the greatest example of tragedy that we can imagine, Job proves that true faith cannot be broken.
Satan, with too much pride to concede he was wrong, says to God in Job 2:4-6 –
“Skin for skin! Yes, all that a man has he will give for his life. However, put forth Your hand now, and touch his bone and his flesh; he will curse You to Your face.” So the Lord said to Satan, “Behold, he is in your power, only spare his life.”
After Satan afflicts Job’s body from head to toe, Job’s wife says in verse nine –
“Do you still hold fast your integrity? Curse God and die!”
In other words, she was saying to Job, God obviously doesn’t love you anymore. If you will simply curse God, He may kill you and put you out of your misery! She saying, “Why are you remaining faithful?”
His response? Vs 10 –
But he said to her, “You speak as one of the foolish women speaks. Shall we indeed accept good from God and not accept adversity?” In all this Job did not sin with his lips.
If this is intriguing to you, I would challenge you to study the whole Book of Job and not draw uneducated and unenlightened conclusions based upon the very small amount that I have shared from that Book in this article.
The Book of Job is very close, if it is not, my favorite book of the Bible. Why? Because of the major takeaway that I get from it – Life is a test. Just like Job, I don’t know when I’m being tested or exactly in what manner I’m being tested, so in light of this, I try to treat all of life as a test.
Full disclosure – I’ve failed more than I’ve passed. Looking back on my life there are so many times I wish I would have kept my mouth closed and not spoken hastily in anger. There are things that I’ve done that I wish I could take back. There are things I have thought that I wish I never would have entertained in my mind.
Above all else, I want to prove to be faithful as Job proved to be faithful. I want to decide in my heart before tragedy strikes, how I will respond. Like Peter, I want to learn from my mistakes and through those experiences become stronger.
Are we being tested now? We’re always being tested in one way or another. Trust God. Cling to Him. Prove Satan wrong. Prove to Satan and all who despise the Lord that nothing can break your faith. Prove that you will follow Jesus no matter what. Prove that you don’t follow only when everything goes your way. Pass the test. There are no percentages. It’s PASS or FAIL.
Much love!
Wes LeFlore (918) 607-8489 or huskerwes1@gmail.com
