Job 1

Much has been written and said of Job, the friend of God who underwent immense personal suffering. The book that bears his name begins with a description of what could arguably be considered the worst day a person could have—Job loses all his wealth and all his children in the same day.

But here’s the thing that startled me the first time it dawned on me: God was the one who pointed out Job to Satan. Did you catch that?

"One day the angels came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came with them. The Lord said to Satan, 'Where have you come from?'

"Satan answered the Lord, 'From roaming throughout the earth, going back and forth on it.'

"Then the Lord said to Satan, 'Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil.'" (vs 6-8)

Satan presents himself before the Lord as the ruler of the earth, as if he was its rightful owner. So he says he’s been surveying his territory, and God responds by pointing out His friend Job. As if to say, You might think everything and everyone on the earth belongs to you, but you’re wrong. Job is faithful to Me.

God was proud of Job. He pointed him out to Satan in order to brag about him. His accolade is incredible: There is no one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright. God, calling a sinner blameless? I would say that’s definitely bragging!

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Being a mom is unlike any other experience in life. Our daughters are now six and eight, and since becoming a parent, I've discovered that there is a lot we say and believe about God that is simply not true, because we tend to disconnect what we know about love from our personal experience from what we believe about the way God loves us.

Jesus tried to help us reconnect the two when He said this: "If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!" (Matt 7:11)

So, then, how we love our children is just a glimpse of how God loves us. And He loves us more, not less.

There’s this odd notion that silently permeates much of Christianity that God couldn’t be or isn’t proud of us. It’s a concept that says we need to approach God with this "I am such a worm" mentality, as if God could never see anything good in us, and it is only by His sheer grace, our pleading, and Jesus’ blood that He can even stand to look at us.

How do I know this isn’t true? Because I am proud of my daughters. And I was even proud of them when they were babies, when they had no idea what was happening yet! I was proud that they focused intently whenever I played music to them. I was proud that they learned to breastfeed successfully. And they didn't even choose to do those things!

So, why shouldn’t I hear Jesus saying, "If you, then, though you are evil, are proud of your children, how much more will your Father in heaven be proud of you!"

God is on record in Scripture as being proud of Job. And He is proud of you, too. If He has a refrigerator, your finger painting is on it. And if He has a photo brag book, your picture is in it. God is proud of you, and He’ll let you know it whenever He has a chance!