Don’t Lose Your Confidence
Although Job was devastated and did not recognize Satan and his unseen evil forces as the source of destruction in his life, he did not falsely accuse God and he remained faithful to Him.
Some time later, Satan appeared again before God. God said: “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. And he still maintains his integrity, though you incited me against him to ruin him without any reason” (Job 2:3, NIV).
Satan was not satisfied. He had destroyed everything Job possessed, but he was still not willing to give up. Having been defeated in his first attempt to get Job to curse God, Satan tried a second time by trying to get God to take away Job’s health.
Again, God removed His hedge of protection from Job and allowed Satan to afflict him, but he placed limitations upon what Satan could do. He told Satan, “Behold, he is in your power; only spare his life” (Job 2:6, RSV). Satan was allowed to afflict Job’s body, but he was not allowed to take his life.
Satan eagerly grasped this opportunity and proceeded out from the presence of God to attack Job with the most loathsome disease imaginable. “Then Satan went out from the presence of the Lord and smote Job with sore boils from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head. And he took a potsherd to scrape himself while he was sitting among the ashes” (Job 2:7-8, NAS).
Satan afflicted Job with the worst form of leprosy — elephantiasis. This incurable disease made its victim repulsive and hideous looking. It was an extremely painful disease, having a debilitating effect on both the body and the mind. Job’s entire body was filled with boils, burning and ulcerous swellings which discharged a fluid that produced a foul odor. In a short period of time, Job became so disfigured that he was unrecognizable to his friends.
Satan’s strategy in afflicting Job with this horrible disease was to cause him to become so physically and spiritually exhausted that he would become weary, faint in his mind, give up, and turn his back on God.
Even at this point in his intense suffering — having been stripped of all his possessions; having suffered the intense grief and pain of losing all ten of his children in one day; having been tormented day and night, his body wracked with pain — Job did not lose his faith and confidence in God. He did not accuse God or turn his back on Him, even after his wife had lost all hope and tempted him to curse God and die (Job 2:9-10).
Make this declaration:
I will not lose confidence in God. I will not turn my back on Him, despite my circumstances or what others around me may say.
