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Job 1 – Praying through the Bible #158 – A Prayer I Am Unqualified to Write About
Shooting basketball, my mother walked onto our deck to tell me “Grandmother” died. She was my great-grandmother. I stopped for a few seconds, and then started shooting again. She was the first person related to me who died. I was young, and only met her a few times. One day at college I got a call, “Grandmommy” had died. I hung up, walked across campus bawling like a baby. Soon afterwards, I woke up with Bell’s palsy, possibly from the stress from her death. She was the first person related to me to whom I was very close who died. I still have my parents, and siblings. I still have my wife and four children who are Christians. What’s my point? I am unqualified to write this article.
When I was about two I contracted a disease so unusual it was written up in a medical journal. I had no strength to sit up. Then at four years old, I woke up unable to walk. I still remember crawling up the stairs to tell my parents. The effects of both quickly subsided. Had they not, I would still be unqualified to write this article. I hope everyone who is reading this never is. To be qualified, we would have to have suffered as deeply as Job.
What did Job have? Basically everything. Spirituality, “He was a man of perfect integrity, who feared God and turned away from evil” (Job 1.1). Big family, “He had seven sons and three daughters” (1.2). Riches, His estate included 7,000 sheep, 3,000 camels, 500 yoke of oxen, 500 female donkeys, and a very large number of servants (1:3). Respect, “Job was the greatest man among all the people of the east” (1.3). His children loved one another (1.4). Job and his children would worship together and respected his spiritual leadership (1.5). What Job didn’t have he won’t know until later.
Then Satan wanted God to prove Job did not serve Him out of bribery, so God gave permission for Satan to take it all away (1.8-12). Read Job 1.13-19 for the utter devastation, including the lives of all his children. Ever been mad at God? After all this,
Job 1.20-21 (20) Then Job stood up, tore his robe, and shaved his head. He fell to the ground and worshiped, (21) saying: Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I will leave this life. The LORD gives, and the LORD takes away. Praise the name of Yahweh.
Job reminds me of Jesus. He too had everything, and everything was given away: “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ: Though He was rich, for your sake He became poor, so that by His poverty you might become rich (2 Corinthians 8.9). I am so unqualified to speak for Job. If you have and are, can you pray Job’s prayer?
Prayer Challenge: Pray never to be tested like Job. But if we are, pray we will consider it a privilege to prove we serve God not for what He gives, but who He is.
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