What is it about God that makes it easy for some to believe … and others to not believe? What is it about the modern church that makes people want to go … or not? What is it about talking of our faith that makes some people eager … and others queasy? Simply put, why do some people have a personal relationship with God and others think they don’t need it?

  A long, long time ago in a country far, far away, there lived a man and his family who had it made. Wealth, land, family, camels, tents, fig trees, all the things that put a person in the upper class of the day. He probably had a couple private oasis spots for his pleasure and plenty of grapes and fruit to enjoy. All this, plus the fact that he was a good man. A real good man. In fact, he was so good that even God bragged about him to Satan. So began the biggest challenge of history. Satan wanted Job as his own, however, God was sure that Job wouldn’t turn his back and join the evil empire. As the challenge unfolded, well, if you haven’t heard the whole story, you’ll enjoy reading it for yourself to see who wins.

  This particular story took place during the time of the Old Testament (which means many thousands of years ago); however, the same story unfolds every day here in Henry County and around our entire world. Many of the same things that Satan threw Job’s way are much like what we face today; loss of income, loss of family and loved ones, loss of health, loss of homes, loss of friends, etc. The list continues in Job’s story as well as in our own lives. One of the most dramatic parts of Job’s story is when his wife turns to him and, after recounting all their losses and problems, urges Job to, “Curse God and die.” Have you ever been that desperate? Is it God’s fault that the economy is so screwed up and we can lose our jobs and homes at a moment’s notice? Nope, I believe that He hurts for us when He sees the mess that mankind has made of His world and society. God created a world where we have free will to go and do as we wish without His pulling any type of strings, so these things just happen. Diseases, deaths, loss, pain, hunger, all these are a part of our world. They may be because of bad choices, or they may that those things just happen … just happen.

  Like Job, many of us have “head knowledge” of God, but not “heart knowledge.” We know about God and have heard of Him, but we don’t really know how He works in our lives. In all that happened to Job (and happens to us), God promises to never leave us or to forsake us. He may not remove the circumstances of life from us, but He will help us get through them.

  After Job went through a time of nightmare situations, God finally answered his pleas to meet face to face and Job finally realized who God really was with his heart, not just his head. He tells God at the end of the book, “I admit that I once lived by rumors of you, now I know about it firsthand – from my own eyes and ears!” Hopefully, we all know God because we’ve seen Him with our ears and eyes … not just lived by rumors.

  And for today my friends, this has been the gospel according to Jimmy.