Finally God was happy. He had finally found a person who was simply good. This person’s name was Job. God was happy with him, with his life, and his actions. God leaned back. At last, he could breathe deeply and be somewhat content with his creation. Finally he could rest a little and tend his garden.
Suddenly Satan knocked on the gates of heaven. “What do you want here?” asked God. “I heard you’re happy about Job,” Satan replied. “Yes, I am,” God answered. Satan looked down and whispered, “Perhaps you are unjustly happy?”
“Why do you think that?” God asked back. “You know,” said Satan, “Job can easily be a good person. He lacks nothing.” “So what?” God smiled. “He just is a good person.” “You’re mistaken about him,” Satan continued. “He’ll stop being a good person when things go badly for him.” “I don’t believe that,” God replied. “He’ll certainly remain a good man.” “I’ll bet against it,” Satan suggested. “I’m not betting,” God said calmly, “I just know it.”
“Take everything he has, and he’ll curse you to your face,” Satan continued to provoke. God became a little annoyed: “Leave me alone, moron. Take everything he has. He’ll remain a good man.” At this, Satan made his way back to Earth.
Job was just returning home from work to his wife and children. When he arrived at his house, no one was there. On the table, he found a short note: “I’ve left. Took the children with me. I’ll now do everything I can to destroy you.”
Job never saw his children again. The next year, he lost his house, then his health and his job. His friends turned away from him. Afterwards he lived under a bridge, begging for food, and grew increasingly weaker. At some point, he fell asleep and never woke up again. Satan had done a great job.
When God called Job to Him, He asked him, “Why didn’t You run amok or kill yourself?” Job replied, “You know, dear God, it wasn’t about me trusting You. It was about You trusting me.” When God then embraced Job, He had tears in His eyes. And He took him by the hand and made him His gardener in heaven.
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Vienna Calling 