Called into conflict
And the LORD said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil? –Job 1:8
Have you ever felt God offered you to Satan for trials and tribulations? Some may jump to God’s defense in our loyalty to him and declare that he would never do such a thing. Why would a loving God throw us to the proverbial wolves when we earnestly attempt to serve him? But when we put our allegiance aside and look at what the scriptures say, we see that God has somehow done just that. What is more perplexing is when we look closer at the man offered up.
“There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and that man was perfect and upright, and one that feared God, and eschewed evil” (Job 1:1). Now, if we are honest, we must admit that we have judged someone as deserving of God’s wrath at least once in our lives. The murderer, rapist, or child abuser we read about in the news may fit into this category. But when we look at Job and how perfectly he served God, we may, at first glance, feel as if God had abandoned his role of protector. We may further judge that it would have been Job if anyone was worthy of God’s protection. But we must understand that even though it may seem God had turned his back on Job, he had a higher plan and purpose. “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts” (Isaiah 55:8-9).
As we further investigate this, we find that our entrance into a test does not mean God’s departure from our lives. We would not choose to suffer to obtain gain, but this is where God’s ways are more significant than ours. “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28). This is where our faith is put on trial. We must display a level of trust that allows us to look beyond our situation and wait on God’s purposes to be fulfilled. Since we are called according to his purpose, which sometimes means being called into conflict, we must submit to his way of doing things. To accomplish this, we must change our perspective from our thinking to one that allows God’s will to be done.
So you see, when God says, “Hast thou considered my servant [your name here],” he has not abandoned you. He has put his star player in the game because he knows your character and that you will glorify him in your test. You will often not see what you are going through, such as why God chose you or when it will end. But you know that he is not only on your side; he has already designed your victory. “There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it” (1 Corinthians 10:13).
