In a time of tragedy, one always questions if they deserve it. We are always taught that good things happen to good people but when something bad happens to a good person it blows us away. In The Book of Job, we see just that. Despite Job being a truly pious man who was admired by all, he suffered a string of misfortune caused by Satan. Satan was determined to prove to God that Job wasn’t as wise as he led on. First, Job’s children were killed and then Job himself became ill. None of Job’s friends could understand the reasoning behind what was happening. On page 131, line 8, Job’s friends asked him, “is not your wickedness great?” The only rational explanation they could come up with, was that he must’ve betrayed God. Job knew that he was innocent and never turned his back on God regardless of all the misfortune that came his way. Job’s fear of God superseded his fear of Satan and as a result he was given back all that was lost.
In the New York Times article “Defendant Ignited Fire, Cheshire Prosecutors Tells Jury”, Dr. William Petit Jr. was the sole survivor of a horrific event that killed his wife and his children. Dr. William Petit Jr. and his family were robbed by two men. After they ransacked the house, the burglars raped and killed his wife, tied down his children, doused them in gasoline and lit the house ablaze. Now the two killers involved are facing trial. One man is being tried this year and may face the death penalty, while the other man’s trial is next year. When reading the article and seeing pictures of the victims, you have to question why this would happen to Dr. Petit and his family. What did they do to deserve this? Unfortunately there is no accurate answer to this question, everyone has their own perspective and we must accept that. The story of Job teaches us that we cannot judge or understand Gods plan, only God can see the big picture and we should not try to figure it out ourselves.
