當壓力增大
約伯記二章1至10節
1又有一天，神的眾子來侍立在耶和華面前，撒但也來在其中。
2耶和華問撒但說：“你從哪裡來？”撒但回答說：“我從地上走來走去，往返而來。”
3耶和華問撒但說：“你曾用心察看我的僕人約伯沒有？地上再沒有人像他完全正直，敬畏神，遠離惡事。你雖激動我攻擊他，無故地毀滅他；他仍然持守他的純正。”
4撒但回答耶和華說：“人以皮代皮，情願捨去一切所有的保全性命。
5你且伸手傷他的骨頭和他的肉，他必當面棄掉你。”
6耶和華對撒但說：“他在你手中，只要存留他的性命。”
7於是撒但從耶和華面前退去，擊打約伯，使他從腳掌到頭頂長毒瘡。
8約伯就坐在爐灰中，拿瓦片刮身體。
9他的妻子對他說：“你仍然持守你的純正嗎？你棄掉神，死了吧！”
10約伯卻對她說：“你說話像愚頑的婦人一樣。噯！難道我們從神手裡得福，不也受禍嗎？”在這一切的事上，約伯並不以口犯罪。
信息分享
約伯正是要面對這種情況。撒但再次在神面前中傷約伯，於是神允許他進一步攻擊約伯。撒但這次便攻擊約伯的身體，使他全身長滿毒瘡。約伯所患的是何種疾病，有很多種猜測，名目繁多，從嚴重的癤子到象皮病都有。
不管它是甚麼，這種毒瘡一定非常疼痛，並且不斷流膿，約伯不得不把膿刮走。經文描寫他蓬頭垢面，坐在爐灰之中，拿瓦片刮著身體，形容憔悴，極端痛苦。
更甚的是，他的妻子，十個兒女的母親，還嘲諷他說：「你仍然相信你所說的神麼？」換言之，就是，你還認為你的神愛你麼？祂如果愛你，怎麼會出這種事呢？即使在今天，我們不是也經常聽見這種話嗎？
接著，她還加上一個惡毒的提議：「咒詛你的神吧！祂必取去你的性命。你這樣活著，不如死了還好。」她甚至建議他自殺。約伯有甚麼感想呢？人生伴侶非但沒有支持他，如今也離棄他了。
約伯怎樣回應呢？第10節告訴我們：「在這一切事上，約伯並不以口犯罪。」約伯的反應，實在令我們深深佩服。回想我們自己，當落入這種境況時，有多少人能夠謹慎自己的言辭呢？激起我們言語激烈，或是不斷向人訴苦，或是沉溺於自憐當中，實在是太容易了。
事實上，我們每個人都可能在意想不到的時候，面對人生的悲劇和損失。在那一刻，但願我們能向神禱告說：「父啊，我信靠你。不要成就我的意思，只要成就你的意思。」
THE PRESSURE IS INCREASED
Job 2: 1-10
1 Again there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan came also among them to present himself before the LORD.
2 And the LORD said to Satan, “From where do you come?”
Satan answered the LORD and said, “From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking back and forth on it.”
3 Then the LORD said to Satan, “Have you considered My servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, one who fears God and shuns evil? And still he holds fast to his integrity, although you incited Me against him, to destroy him without cause.”
4 So Satan answered the LORD and said, “Skin for skin! Yes, all that a man has he will give for his life.
5 But stretch out Your hand now, and touch his bone and his flesh, and he will surely curse You to Your face!”
6 And the LORD said to Satan, “Behold, he is in your hand, but spare his life.”
7 So Satan went out from the presence of the LORD, and struck Job with painful boils from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head.
8 And he took for himself a potsherd with which to scrape himself while he sat in the midst of the ashes.
9 Then his wife said to him, “Do you still hold fast to your integrity? Curse God and die!”
10 But he said to her, “You speak as one of the foolish women speaks. Shall we indeed accept good from God, and shall we not accept adversity?” In all this Job did not sin with his lips.
Message
Job had that experience. For a second time Satan slandered Job to God and God gave him additional permission to attack Job, this time to touch his body. Various names have been given to the disease which struck Job, all the way from severe boils to elephantiasis,
Whatever it was, it must have been severely painful with a constant discharge which Job scraped off. Can you see him, a pitiful broken figure, sitting on the household ash heap, disfigured and in extreme pain?
Then his wife, the mother of his ten children turns on him. “Are you still hanging on to your faith in that God you talk about?” In other words, do you still think God loves you? If He does, why has this happened? Those words sound rather familiar even today.
Next she adds a terrible piece of advice. “Curse this God and he will have to kill you. You’d be better off dead than the way you are now.” She may even have been suggesting suicide. How would Job have felt? Instead of supporting him, his life companion had turned against him.
What could Job do? It is remarkable what verse 10 tells us, “In all of this Job did not sin in what he said.” We may wonder how many of us would be so careful in our remarks about God in that situation. It is so easy to burst out in strong words or to talk to other people about our tragic situation and to indulge in self-pity.
At some time or other we each could unexpectedly face personal tragedy and loss. That is the time when we need to say, “Father, I trust you. Not my will but yours be done.”