Since today is Halloween, I thought I would choose something a little more towards the dark side this morning. Let’s begin with Job1:6-12: One day when the angels came to report to God, Satan, who was the Designated Accuser, came along with them. God singled out Satan and said, “What have you been up to?” Satan answered God, “Going here and there, checking things out on earth.” God said to Satan, “Have you noticed my friend Job? There’s no one quite like him—honest and true to his word, totally devoted to God and hating evil.” Satan retorted, “So do you think Job does all that out of the sheer goodness of his heart? Why, no one ever had it so good! You pamper him like a pet, make sure nothing bad ever happens to him or his family or his possessions, bless everything he does—he can’t lose! But what do you think would happen if you reached down and took away everything that is his? He’d curse you right to your face, that’s what.” God replied, “We’ll see. Go ahead—do what you want with all that is his. Just don’t hurt him.” Then Satan left the presence of God.

And as we read on, we see that satan did indeed take everything Job had. He began with the farm (his harvest) and then took all his children (his seed). In one day, Job went from being the wealthiest and most prominent, honored business man, to the man with the most loss. Lets read verses 20-22 together: Job got to his feet, ripped his robe, shaved his head, then fell to the ground and worshiped: “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, naked I’ll return to the womb of the earth. God gives, God takes. God’s name be ever blessed.”  Not once through all this did Job sin; not once did he blame God.

You know what impresses me most about this story? Job knew that all he had belonged to God, he wasn’t the owner of anything, only the keeper.  Loss is only mourned when you know there’s no more out there to be had, but Job knew that God created it all and there was plenty more where that came from. I wonder how many of us would respond as Job did when stripped of every earthly blessing we’ve acquired?

It didn’t end there though. Job 2:1-10 says:

One day when the angels came to report to God, Satan also showed up. God singled out Satan, saying, “And what have you been up to?” Satan answered God, “Oh, going here and there, checking things out.” Then God said to Satan, “Have you noticed my friend Job? There’s no one quite like him, is there—honest and true to his word, totally devoted to God and hating evil? He still has a firm grip on his integrity! You tried to trick me into destroying him, but it didn’t work.”

Satan answered, “A human would do anything to save his life. But what do you think would happen if you reached down and took away his health? He’d curse you to your face, that’s what.”

God said, “All right. Go ahead—you can do what you like with him. But mind you, don’t kill him.”

Satan left God and struck Job with terrible sores. Job was ulcers and scabs from head to foot. They itched and oozed so badly that he took a piece of broken pottery to scrape himself, then went and sat on a trash heap, among the ashes.

His wife said, “Still holding on to your precious integrity, are you? Curse God and be done with it!”

He told her, “You’re talking like an empty-headed fool. We take the good days from God—why not also the bad days?”

Not once through all this did Job sin. He said nothing against God.

So, I see that the enemy always has a plan to rob us of Gods blessings. First what we have, then he gets personal and touches our body. Perhaps you’ve experienced this in your life or you’re experiencing it right now. You may be wondering how long? How much can I take? Job wondered too. He didn’t understand or see the plan. But when it’s all over, God has the final word as seen in Job 42:12-17;  God blessed Job’s later life even more than his earlier life. He ended up with fourteen thousand sheep, six thousand camels, one thousand teams of oxen, and one thousand donkeys. He also had seven sons and three daughters. He named the first daughter Dove, the second, Cinnamon, and the third, Darkeyes. There was not a woman in that country as beautiful as Job’s daughters. Their father treated them as equals with their brothers, providing the same inheritance. Job lived on another 140 years, living to see his children and grandchildren—four generations of them! Then he died—an old man, a full life.

Father, if you did it for Job, you will do it for us. The losses we have had in our past will be replaced with double treasure. Loss of family, doubled. Loss of money, doubled. Losses are merely a planted seed that produces more because that’s just how you work. Thank you for the honor of being your daughter and that everything you’ve promised me, you will do it. I place my trust in you. I am unable, but you are able. It’s in the name above all names, the one who lives to intercede for me, Jesus, your Son. Amen