June 7

1 There was a man in the land of Us, whose name was Job; and that man was perfect and upright, and one that feared God, and eschewed evil

2 And there were born unto him seven sons and three daughters

3 His substance also was seven thousand sheep, and three thousand camels, and five hundred yoke of oxen, and five hundred she asses, and a very great household; so that this man was the greatest of all the men of the east.

4 And his sons went and feasted in their houses, every one his day; and sent and called for their three sisters to eat and to drink with them.

5 And it was so, when the days of their feasting were gone about, that Job sent and sanctified them, and rose up early in the morning, and offered burnt offerings according to the number of them all, for Job said. It may be that my sons have sinned, and cursed God in their hearts. Thus did Job continually.

6 Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan came also among them.

7 And the Lord said unto Satan, Whence comest thou? Then Satan answered the Lord, and said, from going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it.

8 And the Lord said unto Satan, How thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil?

9 Then Satan answered the Lord, and said, Doth Job fear God for nought?

10 Has not thou made a hedge about him, and about his house, and a seat all that he hath on every side? thou hast blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is increased in the land.

11 But put forth thine hand now, and touch all that he hath, and he will curse thee to thy face

12 And the Lord said unto Satan, Behold, all that he hath is in thy power; only upon himself yet not forth thine hand. So Satan went forth from the presence of the Lord.

13 And there was a day when his sons and his daughters were eating and drinking wine in their eldest brother's house:

14 And there came a messenger unto Job, and said, The oxen were ploughing, and the asses feeding beside them:

15 And the Sabeans fell upon them, and took them away; yea, they have slain the servants with the edge of the sword; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee.

16 While he was yet speaking, there came also another, and said, The fire of God is fallen from heaven, and hath burned up the sheep, and the servants, and consumed them; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee.

17 While he was yet speaking, there came also another, and said, The Chaldeans made out three bands, and fell upon the camels, and have carried them away, yea, and slain the servants with the edge of the sword; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee.

18 While he was yet speaking, there came also another, and said, Thy sons and thy daughters were eating and drinking wine in their eldest brother's house:

19 And, behold, there came a great wind from the wilderness, and snipe the four corners of the house, and it fell upon the young men, and they are dead, and I only am escaped alone to tell thee.

20 Then Job arose, and rent his mantle, and shaved his head, and fell down upon the ground, and worshipped.

21 And said, Naked came I out of my mother's womb, and naked shall I return thither; the Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.

22 In all this Job sinned not, nor charged God foolishly.

In Job we have the death of self. Man is taught to see himself as he really is in the Lord's presence. His utter weakness and need are here revealed to him, and he is brought to an end of the self-life.

Job was a righteous man, coming under the refining and purifying hand of the Lord. By all that happened to him, he was brought to a knowledge

17 of his own heart, and was made to abhor himself in dust and ashes. The instrument used was Satan, but the Hand that used this instrument was the Lord's. Therefore, while Satan seemed to do it all, there was One behind Satan who overruled everything, and made it all work together to accomplish His purposes of grace toward Job. God used Satan to spoil, that in the spoiling Job himself might be saved.

This story of Job is, I believe, enacted over and over in our midst to-day. The righteous suffer, and we cannot tell why. And Satan seems so busy in the matter that it is hard to trace the hand of the Lord in it at all. But His hand is in it nevertheless, and He overrules everything.

Closet Promise.—Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.—James iv. 7.

Martin Luther says: "You cannot prevent the devil from shooting arrows of evil thoughts into your heart; but take care that you do not let such arrows stick fast or grow there. Do as an old man of past times has said: I cannot prevent a bird from flying over my head, but I can prevent him from making a nest in my hair."