Intro to Job, Job 1-14, 38-42

In the book of Job, I found wisdom in chapter 1. All at once, Job was told that he had lost close to all of his most important possessions. He lost his oxen, sheep and shepherds, and camels; which probably was how he made a living. He not only lost his livelihood, but seconds later he was told that he lost his children. Instead of pitying himself, he took this experience as an opportunity to praise Yahweh and His power. Job used this experience to humble himself before God and praise Him. I believe this is a great lesson about how to overcome difficulty in one’s life. Job, in this chapter, models with his behavior that one should not blame God for hardship. Instead of looking outward to find someone to blame, humanity look inward. When thrown an obstacle, humanity should appreciate the opportunity to follow God’s will. This chapter essentially encourages humanity to look on the bright side, and see challenges as opportunities to grow closer with God. Another passage in which I found wisdom was chapter 5. The quote, “No, misery does not grow out of the soil, nor does sorrow spring from the ground.” in some way reiterates the message of optimism I described above. This quote reminds humanity not to make something out of nothing. It also recognizes that negativity does not come into our lives without reason. God has a plan for each and every human, and any obstacle He puts forth is meant to encourage growth and learning. This lesson is an attempt to help humanity understand God’s will, which will strengthen humanity’s relationship with God.