Job's Faithfulness Text Version
by Brian Carlisle
Mrs. Workman opened her oven door and removed the cake that was to be the center of celebration for her son, Greg. Today in school, Greg was to be honored in front of the entire school for his outstanding achievement of saving two young children who had nearly drowned in a nearby lake. Just one week ago, on his way home from school, Greg had witnessed the two children fall into the water and sink below the surface. Casting all personal safety aside, Greg had dove into the water and pulled both children to safety.
Mrs. Workman placed the cake on the kitchen table and was just beginning to spreading the icing when Greg burst into the room and threw his books into the floor.
"Today was the worst day of my life!" Greg screamed. "I wish I hadn't even gone to school today!"
"Greg!" his mother called out in shock. "What happened? Didn't the school have the honor ceremony for you?"
"Yes," Greg nearly cried as he plopped into a kitchen chair. "But that is when my whole life began to come apart."
"What do you mean by that?" Greg's mother asked as she pulled over a chair beside him. "Calm down and tell me what happened."
"Well," Greg began, "after I received the award, I was walking back to my seat when Bob, the school bully, stuck out his foot and tripped me."
"Oh, my," Mrs. Workman gasped compassionately.
"I didn't completely fall, but people began to laugh at me." Tears filled Greg's eyes. "Then when I went to sit down, Paul, my best friend, pulled the chair away and I crashed to the floor! Everyone in the auditorium began laughing at me!"
"That's terrible!" his mother exclaimed.
"But that's not all!" Greg continued. "From that time on, everyone in the school began making fun of me and calling me 'Show-off' and saying I had a big head and deserved the fall." Greg, heart-broken, looked into his mom's compassionate eyes. "Why did everyone turn into my enemies? Even my closest friends, Paul, Andy, and Kimberly laughed at me and teased me. I didn't do anything wrong! All I did was save two children's lives!"
"Greg," his mother began, "permit me tell you a little story about a man long ago, named Job.
"Now Job, the Bible says, was a righteous man and no fault could be found in him. But one day, Satan appeared before God, who was seated on his throne. Satan said that he had been walking up and down the earth. God replied with a question. God asked Satan if he had observed his servant Job. Job, God said, was a perfect and upright man, one who feared God and hated evil. In the whole world there was no one as perfect and righteous or as good as Job.
"But what had Job done wrong?" Greg asked with great interest.
"Not a thing," his mother replied. "Satan believed that he could make Job sin, but God knew that although Job was a rich man, that Job was also a godly man and that Job would never sin against God."
"What did Satan do?" Greg begged his mother to continue the story.
"In one morning Satan sent thieves to steal Job's cattle. He sent the Sabeans to steal Job's cattle, 500 pairs of oxen and 500 donkeys, and kill the servants guarding them. Next fire fell from heaven and burned up his 7,000 sheep and the servants with them. As if that wasn't enough, more thieves, the Chaldeans, stole Job's 3,000 camels and killed his servants guarding them," Greg's mother began the story.
"That is terrible!" Greg exclaimed. "The news of all those terrible attacks had to hurt Job very bad!"
"They did, but that's not the end of the story," his mother interrupted. "No sooner did Job hear of these attacks than another servant ran up to Job and told Job that while all his sons and daughters were in a house, a great wind rose up and hit the four corners of the house and caused the house to crumble. All of Job's children were killed."
"What did Job do?" Greg nearly cried.
"The Bible said that Job tore his clothes, in mourning, shaved his head, and declared, 'Blessed be the name of the Lord!'" Greg's mother smiled. "The Bible says that in all this, Job sinned not."
"Job won!" Greg cheered.
"Greg, this was only the beginning," his mother replied. "Satan struck Job with a disease and his whole body was covered with big sores that tormented Job. Then to add insult to Job's misery, Job's wife advised Job to 'just curse God and die!' Even Job's close friends accused Job of having sinned and bringing this judgment upon him. No one defended or pitied Job."
"What did Job do?" Greg pleaded.
"Job never sinned. Job faithfully endured this great trial. Job had done nothing to deserve these attacks upon his family and himself except to live a holy and good life," his mother smiled. "You see, Greg, Satan and many evil people in this world hate it when they find someone who lives a godly life. They will do everything in their power to destroy that person and to cause them to become angry and to sin."
"Like what happened to me today, but only worse," Greg admitted.
"Yes, except what happened to you today was not nearly as bad as what Job had to endure," Greg's mother agreed.
"But this is not the end of the story of Job.
"Wow!" Greg exclaimed.
"But there's more," Greg's mother added. "Eventually all Job's friends and relatives came to realize that Job had not sinned. All came to Job and begged his forgiveness for their accusations against him. The Bible states they comforted him and gave him money and gold."
"Amazing!" Greg exclaimed.
"That's still not all!" Greg's mother smiled. "The Bible says that Job lived 140 years after this trial and had seven sons and three daughters who were the most beautiful in all the land." Greg's mother reached over and rubbed Greg's hair. "Because Job was a righteous man, Satan and his evil forces attacked him. But because Job refused to sin, God blessed Job far beyond his wildest expectations."
For a few moments, Greg sat beside his mother in deep thought. One by one he compared his problems to the problems of Job. Finally Greg looked into his mother's loving face. "Tomorrow when I go to school, I'm going to hold my head up and greet everyone with a smile and be proud that I am a Christian."
Greg's mother was about to respond when someone knocked on the kitchen door. There, standing outside of the house, was Paul, Andy, and Kimberly. They had come to apologize to Greg and to ask his forgiveness for not behaving like his friends.
"Come on in!" Greg's mother called. "As soon as I finish icing the cake, I'll get my Bible out and read you the story of Job. Actually Job is the name of a book in the Bible between the books of Esther and Psalms."
THINK!
What kind of a man was Job?
What had he done wrong?
Name at least two things that happened to Job?
Who told Job to curse God?
Did Job become mad at God?
Does the story of Job end with a happy or sad ending?
In what special ways did God bless Job in the end?
REMEMBER!
Sometimes it may seem that everything is going wrong in your life and that maybe God has quit caring for you. But remember the story of Job and remember that God always cares and will always help you through your problems if you remain faithful to God and sin not.
A VERSE TO LEARN
"Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake; for theirs is the kingdom of heaven" (Matthew 5:10).
LET'S PRAY
****************************************************
Dear God, I am so thankful that You love and
care for me. Thank You for helping me through
every problem and trial. Please help me to be
faithful to You, no matter what comes my way.
In Jesus' Name. Amen.
****************************************************
CAN YOU FIND THIS STORY IN THE BIBLE?
Job 1:1-22; 2:7-10; 42:7-17
Job Coloring Page
Elihu Contradicts Job's Friends (Requires Adobe Acrobat Reader)
Job and His Three Friends (Requires Adobe Acrobat Reader)
Job's First Test (Requires Adobe Acrobat Reader)
Job Is Blessed (Requires Adobe Acrobat Reader)
Job's Second Test (Requires Adobe Acrobat Reader)
Righteous Job Fears God (Requires Adobe Acrobat Reader)
The Lord Speaks (Requires Adobe Acrobat Reader)
Christian Coloring Books
Memory Verse Cut & Scramble (page 1)
Memory Verse Cut & Scramble (page 2)
A Simple Prayer
Patience of Job Online Word Search
Children's Activity Books
Bible Crafts
Make Your Own Bible Game
Bible Crafts and Activities For Any Story
Children's Crafts Books
Children's Music
Seek Ye First the Kingdom of God
God's Knows About Everything (The Donut Man)If you don't hear the music, make sure you have RealAudio Player installed.
A Patient Man from Uz: A Story About Job
Story about Job
The Story of Job
Tried and True Job (Arch Books)
Trust in the Midst of Suffering
Children's Books
Resources for Parents and Teachers
Sunday School Resources
A Terrible Trial (kindergarten lesson plans)
Terrible Trouble (primary lesson plans)
More Sunday School Helps
Copyright © 2007 by Brian Carlisle.
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Last updated October 14, 2007.
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