Job

 “My ears had heard of you before, but now my eyes have seen you.” Job 42:5 (NCV)
God said Job was a good man. But in response to Satan’s condemnation, God allowed Satan to inflict whatever pain he wished—short of taking Job’s life. Job lost his fortune, his children and his health.
In terrible anguish and profound depression, Job refused to despair or curse God and die. His friends accused him of sin. God is not to blame, they said, so the blame must be Job’s. But Job says that if he could just talk to God, He would confirm that Job has done nothing wrong.
Then God shows up. In a whirlwind.
And God has questions. Where was Job when God created the earth or the seas or the heavens? God is not showing off, or being haughty. God’s correction is designed to restore and improve Job’s viewpoint. It’s clear that God still cares for Job. But Job is not vindicated by his own goodness, but by God’s mercy, even as his own friends stand corrected.
The fact that Job ends up with twice as much as he lost may not mean much. We are suspicious of “happily ever after” stories. Yet in Job’s era, things like children and prosperity were signs of God’s approval. Pain is not necessarily judgment. Those that God loves may endure troubles that are unrelated to sin or divine wrath.
Something greater than prosperity had invaded Job’s life; a richness brought by experiencing and treasuring the majesty and glory of God. “Now my eyes have seen you”. If we begin to catch even a glimpse of God’s awesomeness, we may feel like we are on our toes peeking over Job’s shoulder. And what a sight it is!
-Pastor Dino Griffin