Are We God's Poker Chips?

Have you ever asked, “Why is this happening to me?” People usually ask this question when they experience something bad happen in their lives. Naturally, we don’t ask this question when we get a promotion, or hit the lottery. There is no need to ask why good things happen to us. The answer is simple, because we deserve it. This blog will focus on why bad things happen to us and what role God plays in all of this.

There is only one book in the Bible that describes the events that take place in the metaphysical realm and explains how they relate to our daily troubles. The book of Job tells the story of a good man who faces major obstacles in his life and still continues to trust God. The book of Job is found in the center of the Bible right before Psalms. I will tell an abbreviated version of the story in my own words.

Once upon a time there was this super rich dude named Job that everybody liked. He loved his family and had a lot of camels and sheep and stuff. He even drove around in a Lamborghini. That was really cool. Everybody thought God liked Job because he was so well off. Job used to offer sacrifices to the Lord God as atonement for the sins of his children. He did this because he was not sure if they had steamed God by doing something wrong. Job figured better safe than sorry.

At that time, in the kingdom of heaven all the sons of God (angels) were summoned to headquarters for a corporate meeting. The sons of God were required to give an account of their works. Each one had to give a presentation on their accomplishments and use charts and graphs and everything. Satan was there also.

Then God says to Satan,” What are you doing here?” Satan said, “I was in the neighborhood and thought I might stop in a see how things were going in my old stomping ground.” God said, “So tell me what have you been doing with yourself?” Satan said, “I have been traversing to and fro and hangin out here and there. Ah such is my life.” Now God knew that Satan only comes to steal kill and destroy so He knew that Satan was not just roaming around doing nothing. Satan has only one objective and that is to turn the hearts of mankind away from God. It’s an ego thing. If he can’t get people to show him respect he sure doesn’t want them showing God respect.

Then God said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job who is blameless and upright and turns away from evil, unlike yourself.” Satan says, “Give me a break. “The dude only serves you because you keep his Lamborghini from breaking down, and all of his camels are healthy. Besides every time I try to make a bad example of him my key card won’t let me through the gate.” Then the Lord God Almighty said, “Here use my card it always works.” Then Satan said, “Indeed I shall, and you will regret handing him over to me.” “Really,” the Lord said, “What exactly will you get out of all of this?” “Bragging rights.” declared Satan. “I will tell everyone what a fool you were to bet on one of these wretched humans.” The Lord looked into the soul of Satan and said, “We will see who the fool is, indeed we shall.”

So Satan goes off and gives Job the trashing of his life. Satan kills everything Job loved and scattered his possessions to the wind. The one thing Satan did not take was Job’s wife. Satan figured she was nagging Job enough so he better keep her alive to add to his misery. Satan is lazy and if he can find someone else to do his work, that’s all the better.

Then Satan goes back to see God when the next corporate headquarters meeting takes place. God greets Satan with the same formalities and asks, “Have you considered my servant Job for there is no one like him he trusts me and turns away from evil and still he maintains his integrity even though you have tried to destroy him for no reason.” Satan says to God, “A deer skin for a buck skin. “Yes, Job would gladly give up his children and camels and even his Lamborghini if it means his own life and health will be spared.” Then God said, “Behold his health is yours, only do not take his life.”

So Satan goes out and nails Job to the wall with more health problems then Dr. Gott has ever heard of. But still Job maintains his integrity even though his friends try to tell him he must have done something wrong and God is steamed at him. Job is angry that this has happened to him, but his trust is in God. Then his friends are angry because they want Job to confess that he has done something wrong and that is why God smote him. But Job does not give in for he has not done anything wrong. You see Job’s friends are nervous because they know if they can’t find a good reason why this has happened to Job that means the same thing could happen to them.

Eventually, God says enough is enough. He kicks Satan out of Job’s life and then appears to Job and his friends. First He talks with Job. God says, “I see you are really steamed about all that has happened to you.” Job says, “Ya think?” Then God starts askin Job where he was when God was makin the crocodiles and Job doesn’t quite know what to say. God’s tryin to tell Job that this isn’t His first assignment; He’s been around awhile and knows a thing or two. Job repents and tells God that from now on he will keep his trap shut and not interfere with the matters of God. God tells Job that is good because He has enough critics and doesn’t need one more.

In the end God restores Job’s health and his possessions. Job even has more children and lives to be a real old geezer. But I can’t help but wonder if Job didn’t spend the rest of his life looking over his shoulder half expecting to be ruined again. After all when God spoke to Job He didn’t make any promises that things were gonna be rosy from then on. So Job wasn’t sure if he was completely out of the woods, if you get my meanin. . The end.

The older I become the more I wonder about why God allowed all these things to happen to Job. Then, of course, I have to ask why to bad things happen to so many of us. Was this a bet with Satan that Job would still trust God even after nearly being destroyed? Was God saying to Satan that if the most righteous person on the planet could hold his integrity even after being wrongly ruined then Satan would lose the bet?

I am troubled by the story of Job. I am troubled because there is no obvious answer to the question, why. No obvious answer unless you consider the time that Jesus was in the desert (Luke 4:1-13). I wonder if that was another bet? Then we must consider Paul and the other apostles and the trials they went through. Come to think of it God seems to be placing a lot of bets on mankind. I wonder how often He bets on you and me. I wonder how often He loses?