The story of Job can be deeply unsettling for many, raising difficult questions: Why did God permit Satan to devastate Job's life, causing him to suffer and lose everything?

In simple terms, Job was given an extraordinary gift when God allowed these events to unfold in his life. Yet, how many of us would view Job’s experience as a gift? The idea of losing everything as he did is likely a terrifying thought for most of us. It seems so scary that it leaves us with the question of how it could be a blessing.

The answer to this question lies in Job's own words: “The thing I feared the most has come upon me, and that which I was afraid of has come unto me.” (Job 3:25) What is your greatest fear? For Job, it was losing everything—his family, possessions, wealth, status, and the respect of those who knew him or had only heard of his reputation.

Despite all that Job endured, he remained faithful to God, even when his own wife urged him to curse God and give up. Yet, Job wrestled deeply with his circumstances. He couldn’t comprehend why God would allow such suffering, leaving him feeling like a mere puppet controlled by divine strings. Confused and overwhelmed, Job grappled with the meaning of life, unable to understand God’s ways or challenge Him.

The issue was that Job wasn’t truly seeing God; instead, he saw his possessions, wealth, status, and family as the essence of his life. Job needed to grow spiritually, so God removed the blinders that kept him from recognizing what mattered most. Everything Job had was a gift from God, and eventually, all of it would be gone, even if Satan hadn’t taken it. Job was focused on the temporary blessings of his life rather than the eternal God who gave them. In essence, he was worshiping the gifts instead of the Giver.

Consider Job’s own words:

"I know that You can do everything,
And that no purpose of Yours can be withheld from You.
You asked, ‘Who is this who hides counsel without knowledge?’
Therefore I have uttered what I did not understand,
Things too wonderful for me, which I did not know.
Listen, please, and let me speak;
You said, ‘I will question you, and you shall answer Me.’
I have heard of You by the hearing of the ear,
But now my eye sees You.
Therefore I abhor myself,
And repent in dust and ashes.” (Job 42:2–6)

The barriers that had blinded Job to God’s true nature were removed, allowing him to see God with greater clarity. In that moment, the perfection of God was so evident that Job could finally grasp his own brokenness and his desperate need for God. More than ever, Job understood that God Himself—not the blessings He provides—was his greatest treasure.