Doves On Distant Oaks

Who's In Control?

Many biblical scholars agree that Job is the oldest book in the Bible, predating the first five books of the Old Testament written by Moses. They only argue about how old. Using only the Bible as a source and theorizing about Job's age in relation to others who's ages are recorded, many think it was written slightly before the time of Abraham. As such, it's the earliest written record of God's relationship with man. Just as important, it's the earliest written record of God's relationship with Satan.

We see that Satan has access to both heaven and to God. It's where he goes to accuse us of wrongdoing. His movements upon Earth are not restricted, but he is restricted by God with regard to how much he can do. He could only test Job with God's permission. That means that everything that happens to us passes through God's hands first. In modern terminology, there is nothing that happens which first doesn't cross God's desk to approve or disapprove.

Does that mean that our tests, sometimes awful challenges, come from God? Far from it. Satan is the source of everything bad that happens to us. God's approval isn't in the sense that he desires to watch us struggle, but only for him to approve if he believes it's something we can handle and that will transform our faith. Nothing that happens to us occurs without his knowledge, without his evaluation of our ability, and then without his continued support of us.

My father was a farmer and he once told me that the one sure method of making crops resistant to severe drought was if water was withheld from time to time. So why do we sometimes wonder why God allows our faith to be tested? The sole purpose behind our testing is to make us more resistant.

Muscles are built in the same way. When exercised, muscle tissue is first broken down and then rebuilt stronger. Our faith muscles are built in the same way and proven on the battlefield of challenge, not on the feather-bed of our ease—the very reason why God allowed Job to be tested.

Our testing is not meant to bring us harm, but to build us up. It's meant to hold up a mirror to our character and to strengthen it. The important thing to remember is this: no matter what Satan throws at us, God is always in control.

The Lord said to Satan, “Very well, then, everything he has is in your power, but on the man himself do not lay a finger.” Then Satan went out from the presence of the Lord.

– Job 1:12