Job 1 v 13 – 22

It’s not God’s Fault

Bill Brown gazed wistfully at his new car parked on his new drive. It was all that he had secretly wished for but never dreamed that he would own. It was a bright red Mercedes that glinted in the sunshine. The paintwork resplendent and highly polished while the chrome glistened and reflected like mirrors. The sleek lines of the sculptured body swept Bill’s eyes from the front to the rear of the car absorbing every angle and curve. It was a million miles away from the Ford Fiesta that he had previously owned for the past twenty years.

He lifted his gaze to take in his new house that provided the perfect backdrop that framed the car as if in a portrait. The house was a four bedroomed detached property over- looking Headingly Cricket Ground. Bill and his wife Marjorie had purchased it a year ago but had only just moved in. It was so different to the three bedroomed semi-detached that they had left in Armley on the outskirts of Leeds, but, everything in life was now so different to those days living there.

Five years had passed since Bill opened his redundancy letter from United Insurance and he had filled that time by dedicating himself to writing his books. To his surprise he had become a very successful author and no longer could he be considered as average. So why, as he gazed upon the fruits of his success, did he feel anything but happy. Why, deep down, did he wish to return to being, Bill Brown, (Post Dept.) United Insurance.

So many events had overtaken him in those fleeting five years. His son, Bill, had left to attend university in Edinburgh where he had passed out with a commendable degree in Chemical Engineering but rather than return home, he decided to stay on for further studies and after successfully obtaining employment with oil company chose to remain north of the border.

Bill’s daughter Susan left home for Bristol University and is now studying for a BA in Liberal Arts. While at Bristol she met and fell in love with a young man and now shares a rented flat with him.

Bill had contemplated many times how quiet the house had become without the children, and he found himself missing their youthful banter and even their teenage problems.

Two years ago Bill’s wife Marjorie was called to urgently visit her elderly mother who had suffered a major fall. Unfortunately, due to her age, the fall resulted in serious injuries from which Marjorie’s mother could not recover and she sadly passed away in hospital.  Since then Marjorie had been withdrawn and suffering from depression. Despite great effort Bill had found it difficult to communicate with Marjorie and did not know how to deal with the situation.

Bill had discovered success in writing, success in a new career, success in financial security but he constantly yearned for the happier times when he was Mr. Average.

The Book of Job is the story of a good man who suffers total disaster. He was rich in every sense of the word, materially, spiritually and through his family. Most of all he was a righteous man who tried to fulfil all his responsibilities to God in his way of life and in accordance with God’s will.

Just when Job was congratulating himself on being so successful and obviously in God’s favour, disaster struck.

In just one day Job lost all his oxen and donkeys in a terrorist attack that also claimed the lives of his servants. In another attack he lost all his camels and also those servants but even worse was to come as in a freak wind storm all his family were killed and Job was on his own.

Despite all these disasters Job never lost his faith in God even when his friends tried to mislead him with poor advice, although, Job found it difficult to comprehend why the disasters were happening to him when he had been such a righteous man. He questioned God and begged for an answer but even in his questioning he never blamed God for his demise and accepted that bad times will fall upon all people at some time, and it is not God’s fault.

Eventually God blessed the last part of Job’s life in recognition of Job’s faithfulness and he lived to a very great age and had another large family. Also his wealth was reinstated even greater than before.  

Bill Brown sat at his desk, opened an A4 ledger, picked up his pen and began to write.

‘It’s not God’s Fault’

An autobiography, by Bill Brown

Derek T.