Job 1 and 2 tells of a man named Job who is righteous and does what is right in God’s eyes. He and his family keep the feast days and make offerings to God. Job has been blessed and owns much land and many animals.

One day Satan comes to God saying that he has been walking the earth. God mentions Job to him telling of his great faith. Satan challenges God (the name Satan means adversary, or challenger) saying that the only reason Job is faithful is because God blesses him. God trusts in Job’s faith and allows Satan to do anything he wants to Job’s possessions and his household, but not to touch Job.

Satan gets busy. In one day Job loses all of his property, livestock and children. This is a horrible turn of events and yet Job responds: “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return there; the LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD.” Job did not sin or blame God for what happened to him.

Satan comes to God again. God boasts about Job’s faith even in the midst of a terrible struggle. Satan says that anyone can keep the faith if they themselves are not hurt, but if they personally suffer they will turn against God. God allows Satan to hurt Job as long as Job doesn’t die. Satan puts terrible sores all over Job’s body.

Job’s wife asks him why he still maintains his integrity. She encourages him to curse God and die believing this to be better than what he is going through now. Job says his faith is not based upon receiving blessings from God.

Three of Job’s friends come to see him. They are shocked by what they see. They go into mourning and are unable to speak to Job.

Many people believe that if we are faithful God will bless us and conversely if we are not being blessed we must not have faith. Job is a story of someone who has great faith that allows him to endure great hardship. His faith sees him through the bad times. How would you respond if you went through a terrible trial? Would you be like Job’s wife and curse God or would you be like Job and realize that God is still there and deserves our worship even in the midst of struggle.

Psalm 80 is a lament psalm. It speaks of a time of trouble for the people of Israel. It asks God to restore them and save them. It insists that if God helps them they will never turn away from Him again.