Daily Devotional | Trusting in Adversity

A member of our church contracted an unidentified bacterium that was rapidly destroying his pancreas. He was given a couple days before his pancreas would be useless and death inevitable. As a church, we prayed and trusted God on his behalf. The next day the bacteria was identified, and treatment began to save his life.

Satan’s attacks on Job’s family and possessions didn’t produce the outcome Satan expected. Although Job grieved his loss, he continued to worship the Lord. During Satan’s next interaction, God asked again if he had considered his servant, Job. God added, “And he still maintains his integrity, though you incited me against him to ruin him without any reason” (v. 3).

This is a reminder to us that Satan is the accuser of the brethren (Rev. 12:10). His statement, “Skin for skin,” was a challenge to attack his person (v. 4). Satan was convinced that Job would curse God to His face if Job’s flesh and bones were attacked (v. 5). God would not allow Satan to take Job’s life, but He did grant permission to attack his body. And Satan did. Job was inflicted with sores from the top of his head to the soles of his feet (v. 7). In a short period of time Job lost his wealth, children, and health.

Job’s response is remarkable. Instead of cursing God to His face, he trusted God in adversity. He even asked his wife, “Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble?” (v. 10). The narrator reminds us: “In all this, Job did not sin in what he said” (v. 10).

Jesus said, “the things that come out of a person’s mouth come from the heart, and these defile them. For out of the heart come evil thoughts— murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander” (Matt. 15:18–19). Let’s work on our hearts before adversity comes.

Go Deeper

If you’ve walked through adversity, were you able to trust God during it? How can you guard your heart even before you experience hardship?

Pray with Us: Dear Jesus, we thank You today that You are with us in times of adversity, and that in You we can guard our hearts and minds even before adversity comes. “You are my Lord; apart from you I have no good thing” (Ps. 16:2).

BY Eric W. Moore

Eric Moore is Professor and Chair of the Applied Theology Field at Moody Theological Seminary. Eric is graduate of Michigan State University, Dallas Theological Seminary, the University of Michigan, and Western Seminary. He is the author of Pastoring the Small Church and a contributor to the One Volume Seminary (Moody Publishers). He has pastored Tree of Life Bible Fellowship church for over two decades. Eric and his wife, Marilyn, live in southeast Michigan and have three children.