Fred was the kind of guy everyone looked up to. I mean, what wasn’t to like about him? He had all kinds of money, but never acted superior to others. In fact, he sincerely cared about people and even helped take care of widows and orphans. Maybe it was his deep and reverent love for God that kept him so humble. Perhaps it was his fear of God that caused him to shun evil. Whatever it was, Fred had a reputation, a reputation that no other man in town could earn. Fred was known to be blameless and upright.

Now life went merrily along for Fred. He got married and had kids. Ten in fact. Seven boys and three girls. God bless the man.

A short while later, the winds of change blew into town. In fact, they blew so forcefully that they knocked over Fred’s son’s house. All ten of Fred’s offspring instantly perished. And as if it weren’t bad enough that Fred lost all his kids in one fell swoop, foreigners attacked and carried off his oxen and donkeys. Fire fell from the sky and burned up his sheep and servants. Another band of looters came and carried off his camels.

Fred wailed. He grieved. Yes, his livestock and source of his wealth were gone, but oh, the sting of losing his entire family. He tore his robe and shaved his head, a sign of the times of extreme grief. But then Fred did the unthinkable.

“Then he fell to the ground in worship and said: “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I will depart. The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised.”

Fred, I don’t get you. I understand praising God in the good times, but there is nothing good with what is going on here.

“In all this, (Fred) did not sin by charging God with wrongdoing.”

Incredible.

The inconsolable emotional ache suddenly is matched by equal amounts of physical suffering as painful sores break out across Fred’s entire body, head to toe. Fred sits among the ashes and scrapes his sores with a piece of broken pottery while his wife cries out,

“Are you still holding on to your integrity? Curse God and die!”

Finally, someone I can relate to.

But cursing God was the last thing on Fred’s mind.

“You are talking like a foolish woman. Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble?” He retorts

“In all this (Fred) did not sin in what he said.”

Remarkable.

Fred’s friends come and sit in silence with him for seven days and seven nights. At least they got that part right. On the eighth day, they start lecturing Fred, the one once known as being upright and righteous. They torture his beaten mind and body with ruthless words that are meant to convince Fred that this–all of this–is somehow his fault. Surely he wasn’t as good as he claimed to be, they venture.

Fred listens. And listens. Sometimes he rebukes them. Sometimes he takes it. But when it’s all said and done, he makes one astounding conclusion:

“When he has tested me, I will come forth as gold.”

That last verse is from Job 23:10, the book where “Fred’s” story is told. I hope you don’t mind me temporarily changing his name in the hopes that the magnitude of his integrity can fall afresh on us. Did you catch that last line? “When he (God) has tested me, I will come forth as gold.” Powerful stuff. No, “gee, I think I’ll try to do my best,” or “given these circumstances I have every right to act out in anger” or “I’ll return to being upright after my life returns to normal.”

I’m in the midst of a trial right now. I’m not about to say it’s a result of a conversation between the God of the Universe and Satan (as was the case for Job), nor has any harm fallen on anyone I love. Its peanuts compared to what Job endured, yet I can honestly say my responses have been far from his. I’m not even through it and I can assure you that I won’t win any gold medals for my words, actions or thoughts. Not even a silver or bronze. But maybe medals weren’t what Job was referring to. After all, he said he’d “come forth as gold”, not receive it. Maybe he already understood the words Peter would later write:

“These (trials) have come so that your faith–of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire–may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.” I Peter 1:7

Whatever 2009 may bring us, I pray we will come forth as gold.