Many would say that the past five months have been the worst five months of their lives. They’ve been furloughed or fired from their jobs. They’ve been trying to scrape enough money together to pay their bills and put food on the table. They’ve had to figure out how to work full time at home while also homeschooling and taking care of their kids. Their businesses have been destroyed or gone bankrupt. Their cities have burned. They’ve been unable to go to churches, weddings, and funerals. They’ve been unable to get medical treatments or procedures done. They’ve been struggling with severe anxiety and depression. They’ve lost loved ones to suicide or disease, and they weren’t even able to say goodbye to them. Throughout this pandemic and time of division, things have seemed to get worse and worse and worse.

If any of this rings true in your life, you could probably relate to Job.

Job was a good and righteous man who feared and obeyed God. He was married and had ten children – seven sons and three daughters. Job was very wealthy. In fact, he was the wealthiest man in the area, and he owned 11,000 animals and many servants (Job 1:1-3).

One day, a servant came running to Job. A group of people called the Sabeans had stolen all of the oxen and donkeys. The Sabeans also killed all the servants working with the animals, except the one giving Job the message (Job 1:14-15).

Then things got worse. Another servant came running to Job. Fire had fallen from heaven and completely consumed all of Job’s sheep and the shepherds who were tending to the sheep. This servant was the only one to escape (Job 1:16).

Then things got worse. A third servant came running to Job. Another group of people called the Chaldeans raided the camels and slayed the servants working with them. The servant was the only one to avoid the sword of the Chaldeans (Job 1:17).

Then things got worse. The last servant came running to Job. All of Job’s ten children had been eating and drinking together in the oldest son’s house. A great wind hit the house, and the house collapsed, killing all of them. This servant was the only one able to escape the house (Job 1:18-19).

You’re probably thinking that things can’t get any worse for Job. Guess again. After Job lost all his children and all his possessions, he developed painful sores all over his body, and he had to use a broken piece of pottery to scrape himself (Job 2:7-8).

We discover in Job 1-2 that all of this hardship was from Satan. Satan believed that Job only feared and obeyed God because he had a great life, great possessions, and great health. If Job lost all that, then surely he would turn his back on God. God, knowing Job to be a truly faithful man, allowed Satan to take these things away from Job, as long he spared his life (Job 1:6-12, 2:1-6).

Job didn’t lose everything, though. He still had his wife and his friends. But this wasn’t exactly a good thing. Job’s wife told him to “Curse God and die” (Job 2:9, ESV), and Job’s friends tried to convince him that there was some unrepented sin in his life that was causing all of Job’s hardships (Job 4:7-8).

What was Job’s response to all of this? The book of Job says that “Job did not sin or charge God with wrong” (Job 1:22). Job lost his livelihood, his prosperity, his children, his health, and through all of this he never blamed God or got angry with God. Instead he declared,

“The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD.” Job 1:21b

“Though He slay me, I will hope in Him;” Job 13:15a

“For I know that my Redeemer lives, and at the last He will stand upon the earth. And after my skin has been thus destroyed, yet in my flesh I shall see God,” Job 19:25-26

“I know that You can do all things, and that no purpose of Yours can be thwarted.” Job 42:2

Though Job suffered and grieved his losses, he blessed God and hoped in Him. Why? Because He knew God. He knew that God is alive and active in this world. He knew God existed in the beginning, and He would exist throughout eternity. He knew God is sovereign, in control, all-powerful. He knew He is a trustworthy God. And even though it seems like Job had every reason to not trust God, he did trust in Him and in His sovereign will. If I had to go through what Job went through, I don’t know if I would’ve been able to have the same attitude and outlook that Job had!

In the end, God rewarded Job’s faithfulness. He restored Job’s fortunes and provided him double the animals that he had before. Job was blessed with ten more children – seven sons and three daughters, and his daughters were the most beautiful in all the land. His relationships with his family, friends, and neighbors were also restored, and he lived a long and happy life (Job 42:10-17).

We don’t know what life will look like after this pandemic is over. Our jobs and finances may be restored, or they may not. Schools and churches may return to what they once were, or they may not. We may be healed of our illnesses or diseases, or we may not. No matter what happens, God is still alive and active in our lives. He is still sovereign, in control, and all-powerful. He is still trustworthy, so we can trust in Him. Let us declare with Job-

“My Redeemer Lives!”