“There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and that man was blameless and upright, and one who feared God and shunned evil” (Job 1:1).
Have you ever seen a perfectly straight tree? Most of what you observe in the plant world is subject to other processes that bend what might otherwise be linear. Trees would grow at 90-degree angles to the earth if there were no wind or rain and a perfect distribution of air and nutrients. But this isn’t the case. That’s why there are so many slight variations among even the straightest trees.
If you looked on earth for an environment that had little interference from other processes in nature, you might find straighter lines. Crystals grow far underground in mostly stable conditions. Limestone cave “soda straws” are very straight because little interferes with the slow, dripping formations.
When you study the life of the great Bible character named Job, you’ll find a paradox that teaches us about a godly life. First, the name Job means “assailed.” Like the gnarly bristlecone pines, the most ancient of trees on earth, growing high in the windy White Mountains in California, Job was fiercely assaulted by the winds of unfortunate circumstances. And he survived.
The Bible says Job was “blameless and upright.” The Hebrew word for upright is yashar and means “straight” and “level.” Even though this man was buffeted and tossed about by blustery losses that would knock most of us over, Job remained steadfast. Being righteous does not mean he took it all in stride. Job wrestled with doubts, struggled in his relationship with his wife and friends, and even wished he had never been born.
What made this man, who suffered tragedies we will never know, to be honoured in heaven’s eyes? The answer is that Job was in awe of God. Though struck by devastating calamities, he refused to give up. In faith, he clung to the Lord. Crooked circumstances could not bend his heart. Trust in God kept him pointed directly toward heaven.
Father in heaven, through every difficulty I face today, I will choose to keep my eyes fixed straight on You.
For Further Study: Romans 5:3–5; 2 Cor. 4:16–18; James 1:2–4, 12