DETERMINATION | Book One

C H A P T E R 27

C H A P T E R
T W E N T Y - S E V E N

        "How many of you guys have heard of the Book of Job?" A few inmates raised their hands. "Can one of you guys tell me what it's about? Just a brief summary over it." He asked as he paced the front of the room staring at each male in there.

When no one spoke up, he chuckled lightly. "Don't be shy, we all in here just tryna get the word of God.. but I'll go on and tell you guys and then we'll see how many of you guys can relate to Job in a way."

"Job back in the day is what we would call a baller in our time.. he had everything a rich man could have. I'm gon' tell this story modern style so you guys can understand it better. So okay, in Today's time we gon' say Job had all the fancy cars, a family, money galore, big mansion you know how the rappers live today we gon' say they're Job. He lived in a land called "Uz," with his family and expensive cars living it up but also following the word of God. Job was such a good person that he had God bragging about him to the Devil, now ain't that something? You gotta be a bad mamma jamma if you got the lord bragging about you to his enemy right?" The inmates nodded agreeing.

"So the homie God goes on to tell Satan about the goodness of Job and whatnot, and of course Satan being Satan argues telling God that Job is only a good man because God has blessed him abundantly so this is when things get interesting .. Satan challenges God that if he was given the permission to punish Job that Job would turn and curse God. In other words blame him for the bad things that happened instead of seeking for help and guidance .. So God gives Satan the okay because he believes in Job, but he told Satan that he could only punish Job just couldn't take his life in the process.."

"So listen to this.. in one day, in just one day Job recieves four messages each one with different news that his cars, servants, kids and pets and so on have all died due to some robbers they came up in his house and just wiped everything he loved out. So in one day he loses everything, but Job didn't turn on God ..he mourned and blessed God in his prayers .. but here come Satan knocking at the door once again wanting to test him again and God let's him. This time Satan punishes him with horrible skin sores, his wife being typical tries to encourage Job to blame God for all of this and just to give up and die .. some wife she is right? But Job refuses to do but he was struggling to accept his circumstances."

"So then three of his good friends come to visit him by the names of Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar and for seven days they sat in silence respecting Job letting him mourn. On the seventh day, Job speaks starting a conversation which results in all four men discussing their thoughts on Job's afflicitions. They mostly assumed that Job had to have committed a sin to be getting punished like this and wouldn't you guys think so? If nothing but bad things happen in one persons life and you looking in from the outside you would assume the person is recieving bad karma right?" The inmates nodded.

"Exactly so before I continue.. I want to hear from the ones who have not read this book and tell me whatchu think is going to happen next?"

Ahmad rose his hand, "Go,"

"I feel that he will eventually start blaming God because sadly thats the most common thing to do .. instead of blaming the man who doesn't want to see us do good we never hold him accountable for anything but instead blame the one who only wants us to love him and praise him." The pastor nodded impressed.

"Good assumption, anybody else?"

A guy named Timothy rose his hand, "Shoot,"