Job was wealthy and respected by those around him, and he was “blameless and upright” in God’s eyes. However, in the span of one day, the Lord allowed Job to lose his servants, his livestock, and his sons and daughters. Soon after he was struck with physical illness. This is not how we expect God to treat those who trust Him, is it?
Sometimes it’s hard to understand what God is allowing. Parents who trained their son to love and know God now find their son in prison. A single friend delights in the Lord and desires marriage but has no husband. A godly young mom with three children loses her husband to cancer. These are the real situations of life. It would be easy for these and other hardships to make us question what God is doing.
Take encouragement as you see the end of Job’s story. Although he suffered much, God spoke to Job and brought him into a deeper relationship with Him (42:5). God’s plan is always good. You may face dark circumstances, but the Light of the World is near. And He will never be defeated.