The Story of Job, Part 1 (Job, 1)

Do bad things sometimes happen to good people? I think we learn from the story of Job that they sometimes do. We also learn that the devil has power to bring bad things into our lives. God, however, will turn our bad things into good things if we trust him. The Bible makes it clear that Job was a good man. He loved and served God, and God blessed Job with many blessings. The Bible says he had seven sons and three daughters, and he prayed for them all the time. Job also had 7,000 sheep, 3,000 camels, 500 yoke of oxen, 500 donkeys, and lots of servants. He was a very wealthy man. One day Satan came before God and said that Job would curse him to his face if he took away what he had. God decided to prove to the world that Satan was wrong. He knew Job served him because he loved him and not because of all the things God had given him. Satan was allowed to do what he wanted to the things Job owned, but he was not allowed to touch Job himself. It wasn’t long until a messenger came to Job and told him some people came and stole all his oxen and donkeys and killed the servants taking care of them. While he was still speaking another messenger came and said that fire came down from the sky and destroyed all of Job’s sheep and the servants taking care of them. Another messenger came and said that all of Job’s camels had been stolen and his servants killed. There was one more messenger that came and shared the worse news of all. Job’s sons and daughters were all killed when a strong wind came and blew down the house where they were having a party. Job was a good man, and bad things happened to him. What will he do? Do you think he will curse God to his face as Satan said?