Job

June 7

Job 1:12-22

Disaster strikes

Job was a good man and the Lord blessed him. The devil had been talking to the Lord about Job and was given permission to test Job’s faithfulness, but not to harm him in any way.

So the devil went off to start his attack against Job. One day, raiders came and stole all of Job’s oxen and donkeys. Then lightning struck and killed all the sheep and shepherds. Other raiders came and stole all Job’s camels and killed his servants. And, while his children were having a feast at the home of the eldest, a storm swept across the house and made it collapse, killing all his children. When Job heard what had happened, he got up and tore his clothes with grief, but he did not sin by blaming God.

Will I ever be tested in a way that I can’t handle?

Do you hate tests at school? Are you sometimes nervous as you wait for the test papers to be handed out, afraid that it will be too difficult or that you won’t remember everything? Tests are not much fun! However, once you have written the test and received your marks, you can see just how well you did.

Similarly, we can only know how strong our faith is if it is tested. Through trials, hardships and temptations, our faith is tested and strengthened. The devil doesn’t know whether we will pass or fail the test—but God does!

Jesus knew that his friend Peter was going to face the toughest test of his life. He knew that although Peter would fail this test by denying Him, he would not lose his faith completely. Jesus said to him, “I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail” (Luke 22:32a). Jesus does not keep us from facing problems, but He does make sure that we will never face anything bigger than we can handle.

Verse for today

And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it. 1 Corinthians 10:13b