Job

For the next few days, we are going to follow the journey of a great man who walked with God and held evil at bay. He was blessed with ten children and much wealth. He not only took care of himself, but his “regular custom” was to make sure his children were purified by the sacrifice of a burnt offering. Job was strolling along singing Curly’s song from the musical, Oklahoma! —Oh, what a beautiful mornin’! Oh, what a beautiful day! Everything was going his way until…the bottom fell out of his life. There was a time when a person heard the name “Job” and thought “blessing”; today the name is tantamount to suffering.

There are times in life our circumstances don’t seem fair even though we are following the Lord. When the believer handles these situations well, it “is a gracious thing in the sight of God.” But let’s be honest. There are times when believers are habitually late, waste time, are poor team players, don’t pull their weight on a project, demonstrate a bad attitude, and perform poorly. If any of those things describe you, don’t cry foul when you are confronted.

Not every job is the perfect job. Not every boss is fair. Not every assignment is your first choice. Not every project can get done in a forty-hour...or even fifty-hour week. Not every pay increase is what you expected. Not every promotion goes your way. Not every meeting is your awards ceremony. Not every transfer is your choice. This is the world…the real world we live in.

Some of you are reading this at a difficult economic time. Your business has shrunk. Your sales are down. Your customers are cutting back. Your salary has been reduced. Your job has gone away.

The world is desperate to see Christians find meaning and satisfaction in their work. We don’t worship our jobs; we worship the One who provided us the gift to find purpose in our daily efforts. It’s hard to argue against Solomon’s point: “there is nothing better than that a man should rejoice in his work.”

Jesus is the Chief Cornerstone. If we reject or neglect the Cornerstone, our lives (relationships, jobs, dreams, desires, etc.) will be out of line.

The same God who provided for Abraham in his time of testing will also provide for you.

He is using today to prepare you for tomorrow. He will never waste your time.

God powerfully worked in your life; now, it’s time to share his power with someone else.