We apologize that this excellent article was not completed last month. In the first section, brother Cain took up Job’s mastery of the flesh and his tender conscience.
Job’s Consistency
Daniel was consistent, “He went into his house … kneeled upon his knees three times a day, and prayed and gave thanks before God, as he did aforetime” (6:10).
David vowed that he would be consistent, “My voice shalt thou hear in the morning, 0 Lord; in the morning will I direct my prayer unto Thee, and will look up” (Psa 5:3).
But not every believer has been consistent. Job took a very disciplined approach to the life of faith. Like Daniel and David, there were things that he did every day Is this true of us? Or are there holy practices that may be neglected and only fitted in when there is time remaining at the end of our busy day? You see, we can’t really develop the spiritual energy we need to be consistent outwardly unless we are consistent inwardly.
Job’s Conflict
“And Satan came…” (Job 2:1). The Christian is in warfare. War has been declared by Satan on those who belong to Christ. However, the battle is not always raging for every believer to the same degree. Satan makes special targets, particularly of those who please God as Job did. Job may not have realized that it was with him as it would be with Peter, for the Lord said, “Satan has desired to have you (plural) that he may sift you as wheat: but I have prayed for thee (singular), that thy faith fail not” (Luke 22:31).
Satan had been “going to and fro in the earth, and walking up and down in it” (Job 2:2), and had set his evil intentions on God’s servant, job. If we had known, would we not have cried out to job in Peter’s words, “Be vigilant, watch. Your adversary, the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour” (1 Pet 5:8).
Job had a formidable foe! Like Job, Peter had been “sifted”, so he wrote, “Be diligent, watch.” But he who had been restored also wrote, “But the God of all grace … when ye have suffered for a little while, Himself shall make perfect, stablish, strengthen, ground” (1 Pet 5:10, JND).
What lessons we can learn from job as we meditate on his ways and trials! Let us emulate him, “whose faith follow,” taking heed lest we fall, and never doubting the Hand that is in control!
