Job, Job, Job…

WED., AUG. 24, 1994, 8:44 AM
OFFICE, PULLIAM HALL

Your study and consideration of the Book of Job by your morning breakfast group has been completed. Your Bible was marked, so, obviously, you have studied this before, and it surely will arise again. You are interested in My comments on this, to reinforce or to challenge some of the thoughts you have been having. Hear as you listen, o son.

Job is a story, not an actual happening, but in My view one is not superior or inferior to the other. My concern is with spiritual insight and truth, and this can come forth from a story just as well as from a factual account. For example, one message that comes through powerfully, dramatically, and almost endlessly, is that I, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, am in charge of this earth… always have been and always will be. In this story there is a satan, and we bargain. I allow him to deprive and assault Job as a test, but there is no implication other than that I have the final power. Satan has power, but it can be used only as I allow. The notion that satan has powers beyond My control is rubbish. And yet I allow, even encourage, some Christians to believe and testify to satan’s power.

The story also affirms that God can and does test you humans, sometimes as Jesus and as Me, the Holy Spirit. The central message is that I am little concerned with pain or hardship, for I see these as means by which spirit grows and develops. (They are not the only means, surely, but they are effective in some circumstances. So beware of affirming that I would never allow you to suffer as Job did. Just be grateful when such experiences are not forthcoming.

For example, the nerve or nerves controlling and giving feeling to your right foot may not regenerate, and you would have this present imperfection as a permanent feature of life. If this were so, would I be allowing this? Of course. Could I have prevented it? Certainly. Or did I just allow your body’s imperfection to develop as you considered it to be just another spiritual challenge? When I’m not acting I am allowing the natural and social forces to work as they will. I know, in general, how these operate, but I don’t bother with details. I intrude only occasionally, for purposes that are Mine and mostly beyond your understanding.

Though the Job story has Me insisting that this test by satan cannot be life threatening this is not a universal “condition” by any means. I reminded you before that the death of Job’s 10 children didn’t seem to bother Me. These were replaced, in the story, but certainly have been multiplied over the years.

Some Christian Africans, on this very day, may be asking why they must suffer so and see old folks and children around them die… and perhaps die prematurely themselves. Some may know the Job story and feel that it applies to them. I am not uncaring about these deaths, but I care more for the total life and vitality of that large and important continent. When humans do not control their numbers voluntarily I allow other means to restore a better balance.