Do Your Fear God for Nothing?
Job 1:9-10 Satan implies that Job praises God only because of what He has provided for him, and is a question that we should ask ourselves when we do a self-check.
8/10/20262 min read
So, Satan answered the Lord and said, “Does Job fear God for nothing? Have You not made a hedge around him, around his household, and around all that he has on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land. Job 1:9-10 (NKJV)
God points out His faithful servant, Job, while Satan is visiting Him with other angels. After God says that there is no one more blameless and upright than Job, Satan tells God that Job only respects Him because of all that He has provided for him. So, God withdraws His hand of protection from Job and tells Satan that he can do whatever he wants to him short of taking his life. Through marauders, enemies of the Jews, and natural disasters, Satan takes all of Job's possessions away, kills his servants, and then takes the lives of his sons and daughters. In sorrow and mourning, Job falls to the ground and says, "Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked I shall return there. The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away; Blessed be the name of the LORD."
Satan's question about Job's motivation and the nature of faith challenges us to do a self-check and see if our worship is based on material prosperity or favorable circumstances. It prompts us to reflect on whether out own faith is rooted in genuine reverence for God or in the expectation of blessings. Philippians 4:4 says, “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!” meaning to rejoice in God when we receive blessings and when we are dealing with adversity. Worship is not conditional on circumstances but is rooted in trust in God’s goodness.
Choose to do a self-check and consider the purity of your devotion, maintaining faith not only in times of prosperity but also in hardship. Know that your integrity and reverence for God is tested through trials, and that enduring faith is not transactional but rooted in love and respect for God’s holiness. As a Christian, the trait of reverence must be lived out by who you are and what you do, loving the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength. Start each day by reading and meditating on passages that magnify His name, approach prayer, praise, and song with awe, acknowledging God’s greatness and seeking His will rather than your own, and reflecting on the good experiences to deepen your sense of God’s presence and holiness. When Satan asks you, "Do you fear God for nothing?" you can say, "Yes, I do."