by Joshua Grant
At first, the noise was low, so much so that it was barely audible against the ferocity of the sandstorm. However, after only a few seconds, the noise grew considerably louder. Now I heard roof supports giving way and the sound of pots shattering as they hit the floor inside the house. Then, with one final crunch, the entire house collapsed in on itself. It disintegrated into pieces, much like a house devoured by a tornado. I heard the sound of a plank whipping past me and ducked, though my reaction was way too slow. I would have been hit by the debris if I had been closer.
"God! Is this some kind of cruel joke?" I shouted. Possibly my only salvation from this sandstorm, and God had caused it to collapse. I fought against the despair rising in my chest, fought to swallow the sobs that threatened to erupt from my throat. To be honest, I barely had the energy to cry, but my emotions were in turmoil. What was I going to do? I wouldn’t last much longer at the mercy of this sandstorm.
Suddenly, my thoughts of anger against God destroying the house disappeared as I watched the form of a man running away from what was left of its foundation. It was difficult to see him clearly due to the sand blowing, but I could just barely make out his face as he passed within five feet of me, apparently unaware of my presence. He held the edge of his robe tight against his face, his focus narrowed on something in the distance. From what I could see, he had the sandblasted face typical of people living in this kind of climate. I didn’t think there had been any way a man could have survived the destruction of the house, but there was someone running away from the debris nonetheless.
Having nowhere else to go, I followed the man in the hopes that at least he knew where he was going. I followed him through blinding sand for what seemed an hour, my tired legs protesting every step I took. Although there was no way to tell what time it was due to the fact the sandstorm had completely blotted out the sun, I soon began to see signs of civilization. A plow abandoned here, a cart there … and finally, a house. Gradually, the strength of the storm had waned as well, so by the time I followed the man to within one hundred yards of the house, the sandstorm had died down to a hard breeze. Grateful that the worst was over, I studied the house
The house appeared to belong to someone of considerable wealth. Mortar and stones had been laid with great skill, and the thatch work done on the roof had to have been one of the most intricate patterns I’d ever seen. After all, the house and the roof had weathered the sandstorm with very little damage.
I watched the man enter the front entrance of the abode, so I slowly walked around the side of the house and stood near an open window so I could hear what was going on inside.
“Your sons and daughters were feasting and drinking wine at the oldest brother’s house, when suddenly a mighty wind came in from the desert and struck the four corners of the house,” the man related, gasping for breath. “It collapsed on them and they are dead, and I am the only one who has escaped to tell you.”
I peeked around the edge of the window and glanced inside in time to see an elderly man leap from his chair as if electrified. Then, without the slightest hesitation, he grabbed his robe and tore it with all of his might, rending it in two pieces right down the front. Just as quickly as all that energy and strength in the man had appeared, it disappeared. As if worn out, he dropped onto his knees in apparent grief and threw his hands up in the air and proceeded to… pray?
I first thought the guy was crazy. Who in their right mind would worship God at a time like this? The man’s children had just died! I stood still, watching him in shocked amazement.
Then, with his voice filled with passion, the man cried out. “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.”
I stood stunned for several moments, realizing then who this man was. He was Job, the man who worshipped God despite losing everything he owned. His livestock, his family… everything. Shamed, I immediately asked God to forgive me for being so critical of one of his most faithful servants.
After several moments, I stood on wobbly legs and looked for a place to rest. I noticed a tent that had been pitched behind the house, so I cautiously made my way over to it. Finding it empty, I collapsed on a pile of rugs and robes and instantly succumbed to slumber. My rumbling stomach woke me, and I lifted my head and realized it was dark. The air had grown cold, and the hard ground beneath the thin layer of fabrics had probably done my back more damage than it had done good. Once the fuzziness left my head and I wiped the sand out of my eyes, nose and hair, I stood and emerged from the tent.
Turning toward the house, I noticed the dull glow of a lantern coming from one of the windows, so I knew someone had to be awake in there. Not wanting to sleep the entire night outside in the cold, I walked around to the front door and softly knocked. I heard the shuffle of feet nearing the door, the sound of a latch opening, and finally the door swinging open to reveal the face of a man who looked as if the life had been sucked out of him, as if life were something tangible. The lantern he held accented the crevasses in his dry, parched skin. I recognized this man as Job.
“May I help you?” Job said.
“Please, kind sir, I was lost in the sandstorm and do not know where I am. May I trouble you for a place to stay for just a single night?” I asked, trying to not sound like I was begging, even though I was. Job stroked his stubble-covered chin, as if thinking the situation over, and then answered. “I suppose I can give you a place to stay for the night. God has been generous to me, and I have plenty of space in my house for a weary traveler such as yourself. You must be quiet though, my wife is asleep. My name is Job, what is your name?”
“Adam,” I replied, as Job motioned for me to come inside. I stepped over the threshold, surveying the inside of the house. The simplicity of the outside definitely betrayed the beauty of the inside. I was in what appeared to be some sort of common area. To one side, I noticed a beautiful wooden table, carved with hundreds of ornate designs on the top and sides. It appeared old, yet somewhat beautiful, due to carefully applied compounds that gave it a rich, soft luster. Around the table, I noticed two benches, as well as several cushions for sitting on the floor. I continued to look around and saw everything from beautiful vases to delicately woven rugs.
“You may rest in here for the night,” Job said, ushered me through a doorway into a separate room. “You’ll have to excuse the straw mat, but it’s all I have at the moment.”
“This is more than generous.” I replied, not wanting to offend my host and get myself kicked out into the cold. As Job turned to leave, I decided to tell him what I had seen in the sandstorm, despite my better judgment.
“Job, may I speak with you one moment?” I asked.
“Of course, young man,” he said with kindness.
Job sat down on the floor in the sparsely furnished room and motioned for me to do the same, which I did.
“What do you wish to speak with me about?” he asked.
“I wouldn’t feel comfortable staying in this house without telling you what I saw while I was lost in the sandstorm,” I began. “After wandering through the blinding sand for quite some time, I came upon a house.” Job watched me quietly. I had a feeling he knew where I was going with this story, but I continued nonetheless.
“I had tried to seek shelter there first,” I continued. “But before I was able to near the house, a great gust of wind struck the house, causing it to collapse. I saw someone heading away from there, and I followed him here to your house.”
A single tear escaped Job’s right eye, only to be quickly absorbed by his dry, cracked skin. With great sorrow in his voice, Job spoke. “That was my eldest son’s house. The man you saw earlier informed me they had been inside and did not survive the collapse.”
“But then… but why aren’t you grieving?” I asked. “If that were my children, I’m sure I would be in mourning for days, possibly even weeks or years.”
“Son,” Job said, resting a hand
on my shoulder. “Sometimes God works in mysterious ways. I don’t pretend to know what God’s will is for my life, but I do know that He has my best interests at heart. He knows what is best for me. Satan, on the other hand, is out to destroy lives and he loves to take advantage of situations such as this. I love God too much to allow Satan the satisfaction of damaging my relationship with Him.”
I was speechless. How could someone have such a large amount of faith in the face of such adversity? As I continued to ponder the depth of what Job had just told me, he stood up to leave.
“You may stay here as long as you’d like,” he said, placing his lantern down next to me. “I pray that, during your stay here, God in His infinite wisdom will give you an extra measure of faith in your life, so that you’ll be able to rely on Him whenever the trials of your life come about.”
With that, he left the room, leaving me to my thoughts. After a few minutes, I decided there was no point in staying up. I blew out the lantern Job had left and crawled onto a straw mat, falling asleep shortly thereafter.
A woman’s scream woke me the next morning. Dust motes danced on the shaft of morning light seeping into the room as I leapt up, my heart pounding in alarm. I rushed into the common room to see whom I assumed to be Job’s wife standing near the far corner of the room, hovering over Job. I followed her gaze and saw Job scraping his left arm with a broken piece of pottery. Blood oozed from his arm as he scraped furiously at what I now saw was one of many large boils covering his body. Each of these pus-filled boils was surrounded by patches of bright red skin, and each seemed to jiggle slightly with every scrap of the potsherd.
“Job! What are you doing?” his wife cried. “Why are you still trying to keep your integrity? Just curse God so you can die and end this torture you’re going through.”
“You talk like a foolish woman!” Job accused his wife. “How can I possibly accept good things from God and not accept the trials He allows into my life? This is a fallen world, after all.”
“You’re impossible!” Job’s wife wailed as she ran back into their bedroom.
I walked toward Job and asked my own question. “Why are you putting yourself through this torture?”
“Did you not understand anything I told you last night?” Job countered, clearly in immense pain as he spoke. “Properly worshipping God should be the most important goal of all who seek to walk in His path. I would be lying if I told you I’m glad I have this pain, but I’m willing to endure it, for I know it will make my faith in God grow. Even if it came to laying down my life and allowing this pain to overtake me, I would gladly do so, because my devotion to God is more important to me than even my own life.”
I stood next to Job, not having any idea what to say in response. Looking down at him on a pallet on the floor, I no longer saw a man scratching at his arms in agony, but rather a man truly trying to imitate God in his daily life. Job glanced up at me as if to say he knew what I was thinking. Not knowing what to say, I broke down and wept. “How can I ever hope to have such a great faith in God as you?” I asked.
“Prayer,” Job smiled. “It all begins with prayer. By yourself, you can never hope to have a deep, abiding faith in God. Only through prayer and meditation of the Scriptures will you learn that all you have is in Him. It is the same as building faith and trust in a friend. How can you have faith in a friend unless you get to know that person by talking to him on a regular basis?”
I had no answer for this. Without saying a word, I simply walked back into my room and fell down on my bed. “Why are you putting him through this Lord?” I cried aloud. “He’s an innocent man and doesn’t deserve to be treated like this. You say you’re a God of love and kindness, yet you allow something like this to happen to one of your most devoted followers? He’s shown me nothing but kindness and yet he’s being tortured with physical, mental, and emotional pain.”
I continued to lay there staring up at the ceiling for what seemed like hours. I vaguely heard the front door open and close a few times, but I wasn’t paying attention because I was so wrapped up in my grief over Job. I just wasn’t able to come to an understanding of how such an honest and kind man could be persecuted so much. As I continued to lie in my bed, I started to feel dizzy and soon passed out.
I opened my eyes to find myself in a featureless room surrounded by an all-encompassing white light. Where was I? I hadn’t used the T.O.M. device, so I should still be in the room in Job’s house, but nothing looked the same. Because of the lack of any defining characteristics in the room, I had no way to properly determine distance or how big the room really was.
As if my eyes functioned like a camera slowly coming into focus, I noticed someone walking toward me out of the void. My heart pounded as I sat upright. Could it be? The light in the room grew brighter, and soon, I realized without any doubt, this presence approaching me was God.
"Why have you brought me here?" I asked God, sounding as if I were demanding an immediate answer. Still, I plunged on. "It seems all you have shown me in my travels so far has been a lot of pain and suffering. I don't see how this is helping me at all."
God stared at me for a few seconds before responding, like a scientist analyzing his experiment. "I brought you here because you have had an awakening."
"An awakening?" I asked incredulously. "The only thing I have been awakened to is how much pain you have caused so many people!”
"You misunderstand my purpose,” His voice echoed through the empty room. “I have not allowed you to see these things to torture your mind. I have let you see them so you would understand the consequences of your actions."
I looked at the light emitting from God, dumbfounded. I had no idea what he was talking about.
"You were on a path to destruction before I intervened, just the same as all the people that you have witnessed with your time travel device. I love you, just as I do all my children, and it broke my heart to see you wasting the life that I had given you. I was trying to teach you the consequences of living a sinful life. Just the same as the people who died in the flood, or those who perished in Sodom and Gomorrah, your path would have eventually lead to your death."
"How would I have died?" I asked, stunned.
"You don't expect me to let you know that, do you?" God said. "In all creation, only Jesus knew when he was going to die. For you, that potential future can still come to pass. You have many things you still need to learn."
I started feeling dizzy again. "What else do I need to learn?"
I collapsed forward, pressing my forehead to me knees, feeling that I was about to pass out. My hearing became fuzzy, and as my vision faded to blackness, I heard God's reply.
"Faith."
I awoke on the bed. I turned to the window and saw that it was growing dark. I realized there wasn’t much to do here, so I decided to go back to sleep. As I stood up to undress and prepare myself for bed, I accidently kicked over my lantern, causing the room to go pitch black. Knowing I’d have to get more oil to light the lamp, I groped my way toward the door. After only a few steps, my foot landed on something. In the next instant, I realized two things very quickly. Whatever I had stepped on felt like plastic, and since plastic hadn’t been invented yet, I could only assume I had stepped on the T.O.M. device. The next thing I realized, only too late, was that I shouldn’t have lifted my foot off of the device. As I did so, it started to beep.
At first, the beeping started out slow, but then the tempo grew faster, very quickly. I was afraid of what button I might have inadvertently pressed, so I frantically crawled around the room trying to find something to take refuge behind before I glanced down at the device to see, ready or not, where I would inevitably be going next.
Just as the device’s incessant beeping turned into one long beep, a beam of energy shot out from the tip of it, lighting up the room and opening up a portal at the same time. I certainly didn’t want to go through this portal since I didn’t know where I’d end up, but that didn’t matter. In the ne
xt moment, I felt myself literally sucked into the portal, along with the device. I yelled. I didn’t want to go just yet! I had not learned more about faith! I heard the loud roar of wind whipping by my ears, and I felt terrified of where I would end up. However, almost as quickly as it had started, the sound abruptly ceased.
Slowly but cautiously, I opened my eyes, surprised to find myself in the same room! I was still in Job’s house! “What on earth…” I looked around the room, and only then noticed something was different. I realized that the difference in the room was the level of light. Early morning light crept through the window. "Great. Now I don't get any sleep," I muttered.
I figured I must have gotten disoriented by the portal and knocked out, missing an entire day, so I decided to venture out of my room and into the main room to find something to eat. No sooner had I stepped outside my room than Job’s wife came running up to me.
“You know, it’s not very nice of you to run off like that,” she said.
“Excuse me?” I inquired, puzzled by her comment.
“We’ve been looking for you for days. The last time I saw you was when you were getting ready for bed seven days ago. We thought you had decided to leave, but we saw some of your clothing still here, so we were concerned.”
It was then that I realized I must have traveled forward in time a little when I had been sucked into the portal. “I’m sorry to have disappeared like that,” I apologized. “I’ve never been to this area before and wanted to do a little…exploring.” I paused, figuring exploring would be a generic enough explanation to enable me to not have to lie to her, but at the same time not reveal where I had truly been.