March 8, 2018 - Suggested Reading 2nd Service Job 2

“His wife said to him, “Are you still maintaining your integrity? Curse God and die!”

Job 2:9 (NIV)

How many of us curse God?

I don’t mean swear or blaspheme - I mean the opposite of bless God.

We bless His Name when things are going good, what do we do when tragedy strikes?

This is real tragedy here - kids, business, health- all gone.

I think Job’s wife is a wonderful wife, who loves Job dearly and wants him to see the stakes before him, and not to fall into the trap so many of us fall into. She goads him, by challenging his integrity and laying out the temptation he is facing- she seems to be a straight talker. Notice Job tells her not to talk like a foolish woman - he doesn’t call her foolish- her talk was foolish.

To bless God is to declare Him righteous in all His dealings with us.

To curse God is to declare Him unrighteous in any of His dealings with us.

“I can’t worship a God who allows cancer”

“either God is not in control on earth or He is a sadist”

These are 2 popular statements among North Americans - they are cursing God.

Maintaining our integrity is declaring God righteous in all times, accepting good and trouble from His hand, trusting Him, questioning Him, worshipping Him.

So the question for us today from Job’s wife is;

“Are you still maintaining your integrity?”