“He’s the God of the Valleys…”

His three close friends did not recognize him as they came near. They had heard that something “bad” had happened to their friend, Job. In the distance, as they walked on foot, they saw a thin, bald-headed man, covered with sores… he was sitting in the ashes, moaning, and crying. As they neared, they saw “oozing crusted boils” from his head and even on the bottom of his feet, every part of his body. In the near distance, they saw a pile of rubble that looked like it was once the house of one of his children… demolished. All his children had died.

This man was in such agony, not only from the pain of skin sores, but he wanted to die. He, that had been rich and blessed, now had nothing…

He was once “the greatest of all men in the East,” in the land of Uz. He was so extremely blessed of the Lord… 7,000 sheep; 3,000 camels; 500 yoke of oxen; 500 she-asses; a huge house, a large grown family… he also was very generous with the poor. And, each day, he sacrificed on behalf of his children because he always feared that one of them might “sin against God.” He was so well respected that men bowed when he went by… little children stared at him. He was “God’s perfect Christian.”

Now, in just “one day,” one single day, he lost all that he had… all his cattle, his oxen, his wealth, all his children… his health.

Job reached over and grabbed a potsherd, and scraped his skin as he saw his three comforters coming… after seven days of fasting and not saying a word, they began to talk to him… but each one criticized him… they all thought, “he had sinned against God,” and God was punishing him…

Clogs of dirt were sticking to his sores… his face was wet with tears and mud… children who gazed at him, waved to him, loved him, now hissed at him. Adults made fun of him. What had he done that had made God so angry?

Job didn’t have a comforting Christian friend to talk to… he didn’t have a church or prayer group. He had no “iPod,” to listen to Christian music, no Christian books, no Christian television, or radio; not even a Bible. He had NOTHING. All he had was faith in an invisible God. He had never heard the scripture that said, “That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ.” I Peter 1:7

But even though he had no Bible to read, he sat in the ashes and said, “But He (God), knoweth the way that I take: when he hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold.” Job 23:10

God had allowed the trial to come upon Job, “because God knew he would” pass the test. And Job did… God blessed him double with all his sheep, camels, oxen, etc. and gave him seven sons and three beautiful daughters… and he lived long enough to see four more generations of “little Job’s!” So, hang in there… He’s God of the mountains… but He is still “God of the Valleys,” too! Sherry