U.

There once was a person in the land of earth, whose name was, U. This person was for all intents and purposes, perfect and upright, fearing God and hating evil. U had seven sons and three daughters, and owned a huge mega store/computer franchise, an oil field, and a major sports team. You could say that U was the richest man in the nation. 

Well, one day, U's sons decided they wanted to have a party, but not just a single party they wanted to go from one son's house to the next, having a party each day and in different house! Such celebrating, such revelry, such fun for days and days - there were after all seven of them- seven days and seven major parties. Also, because they didn't want to celebrate alone they called their three sisters and asked them to come party with them. Excessive partying was going on and it wasn't of an upright nature at all.

Meanwhile, U heard about all their partying and wasn't too thrilled. When they were done with their seven days of parties he sent for his children and sanctified them- rising up very early in the morning he offered burnt offerings - enough for each of them. And praying to God he said- "My sons may have sinned and cursed You God in their hearts, please forgive them!" U wanted his sons to serve God, he wanted all of his children to be upright and perfect. And so, U set about continually sanctifying, offering sacrifices and praying for his children.

As U lived his upright life as a Godly man, God was in the heavenly sanctuary going about His business. There came a day when the sons of God came before the LORD and along with those sons of God- the first sinner, the father of lies himself, the fallen angel Lucifer, also known as Satan, decided to join in, having not been cast out of heaven as of yet.

Curious, God turned to Satan and asked him, "Where are you coming from?"

Satan quickly replied, "From the all over the earth, to and fro, up and down."

God then asked Satan, "Do you know my servant U? There isn't another man like him in all the earth, he's perfect, he's upright, he reverences me, and he hates evil."

Satan answered, "Why shouldn't U reverence you? You've protected him and all his house. You've made him successful. If you stopped protecting him and he no longer had all that he has, he would turn on you in a heartbeat."

The LORD answered Satan's boasting. "All that he has is now in your power, just don't touch him personally."

Satan quickly left the sanctuary, he had work to do.

Meanwhile-

U's sons and daughters were once more partying in the eldest son's house and while they were doing so a messenger of U's hurriedly came to bring him some terrible news. The mega-store/computer franchise was completely bankrupt! All of the corporation's top executives had schemed behind U's back embezzling all their money and fleeing to non-extradition countries, this messenger alone was still there.

Shocked U didn't have time to reply before another messenger came running up to him. This obviously distraught messenger quickly told U all the oil wells suddenly dried up for absolutely no reason at all whatsoever!

And before a word left U's mouth yet another messenger arrived bringing even more horrific news. The major sports team's airplane had crashed killing all of the players and U's insurance on the team had NEVER been renewed!

If all that weren't enough another messenger ran over to him and told him that a great wind tore down his eldest son's mansion while all his sons and daughters were inside and they all died!

Everything of worth U owned, and all ten of his children were gone! GONE! Everything! Life as U knew it was over! How? Why? This obvious attack by evil people and from the elements themselves all happening at once, it was too much to take!

U stood up, tore at his clothes, shaved all the hair off his head and then fell down on the ground- worshiping God! He cried out- "Naked I came out of my mother, and naked I'll return. The LORD gave me all my substance and the LORD has taken it away. Blessed be the name of the LORD."

U worshipped! U had everything taken from him!

STOP right here and THINK about this!

Put yourself in U's place because it is YOU.  IMAGINE this happening to YOU, do YOU fall down and worship the LORD, calling out a blessing on the name of the LORD? Do you?!

How often have you had things go awful in your life? Most people have tragedies of sorts happen, albeit on a much less scale then U. There aren't many who lose not only all their children but all their goods, all their livelihood in a single day.  We lose a job and it's as if the world has pull the rug out from under our feet as we instantly wonder how we'll be able to afford to live. We experience the death of a single child and our heart is broken in a million pieces and we scarcely imagine we'll recover from such tragedy. We know the pain of miniscule suffering compared to what U endured, and yet we rail against God for what He's done to us by allowing all the evil to transpire. How many of us instantly thinks to worship God when heartache befalls us? U did, U trusted that God brought him into the world with nothing and had every right to take him out of the world with nothing. Everything he possessed including the children that came from his loins, were NOT truly his to do with as he pleased. They all belonged to God. U knew that HE was not promised a single thing in this world. He was now a pauper and without a single child to his name after having so much. He had every right, at least in our minds corrupted as they are by sin and Satan's influence, to turn his back upon God and blame God for allowing all his possessions and all his children to be destroyed. Yet U was truly upright in his FAITH of God.  We could ALL learn from this, all of us! May God bless us with comprehension of true faith, true trust in HIM. May we say this--

Php 3:8  Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ

All through JESUS CHRIST OUR LORD!

(Read Job 1:1-22)