Perhaps no story has been of more comfort to those enduring hardship than that of Job. He faced trials beyond most of our imaginations, and yet continued to serve the Lord despite his nearly crippling circumstances. What this story teaches us, though, is not just how to persevere when everybody else insists on giving up; it also provides us with a wonderful depiction of one who  truly “held fast their profession of faith.” (Hebrews 10:23)

Prior to his affliction, Scripture reveals that God had actually protected Job from much of what others faced (1:10). He didn’t struggle to make ends meet; he didn’t have problems at home; and all that which he put his hand to was obviously made prosperous by God. Satan, on the other hand, interjected with the idea that Job would “curse the Lord to his face” (1:11) the moment things began to fall apart and so obtained permission to put this idea to the test – and he made no little use of it, as we all know.

In the course of a single day, Job lost nearly everything. His children, servants, and much of his livestock were all killed with the news of these events coming all at once. His wife discouraged him (2:9); his friends betrayed him (chapter 4); and from the way things looked, his God had forsaken him. Talk about having a bad day!

What amazes me so much about this story? The fact that Job still loved the Lord. While he certainly made some mistakes along the way, I’m confident he handled himself in a much godlier manner than I would would have been able to and am sure we can all learn from his example. He taught us that in life you can, and possibly will, lose everything you hold dear but that the most important thing of all (i.e. your faith) can never be stolen. Hold it fast.