A good man

Long ago, there was a man named Job* who lived in the land of Uz. He was a good man who worshipped God. Job had seven sons and three daughters. He also had thousands of camels, sheep, and donkeys, as well as many servants.

One day, while the angels were presenting themselves before God, the devil went with them. The Lord said to Satan, “Have you noticed My servant Job? There is no one on earth as faithful as he is.”

Satan answered, “Job only worships You for what he gets out of it. You have always protected him and everything he owns. If You took everything away from him, he would curse You to Your face.”

How can I convince others of my motives?

“You’re only helping Mom so you can get something out of her!” Does that kind of talk sound familiar? Job was a good man, just minding his own business. He was careful not to do anything wrong. The Lord had been watching Job, just as He watches everything we do. This is what the Lord said about Job: “There is no one on earth as faithful and good as he is.”

On the other hand, the devil immediately found fault with Job, accusing him of being good only because he wanted the Lord to bless him. (The devil is called the accuser, and he tries to make us look bad—Revelation 12:10.) One way God could prove that Job’s motives were pure was by allowing the devil to take away everything he owned.

You don’t have to convince others of your motives for doing what is right. Your love and faithfulness will show that your intentions are good, and the Lord, who sees your heart, knows all things—and that’s all that matters!

Verse for today

Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us. 1 Peter 2:12

*The name Job is pronounced Jobe

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