The story of Job (pronounced jobe, with a long o ) has always puzzled and frustrated me . . . even scared me. Job has it made. Everything is good about his life.

Satan joins a board meeting in the conference room of Heaven and God asks him to introduce himself. When Satan says he is from Earth, God asks if Satan has noticed God's servant Job . . . there's nobody so blameless and upright as Job!

Satan's accusation that Job only serves God because God gives him riches is the beginning of a very trying time for Job. 

The hardships, pain and grief of the story, ending with the twice as much reward has never seemed quite right to me. Why not protect Job from the anguish and leave him a very rich man instead of making him suffer and then making him insanely rich?

I'm not a theologian and I don't claim to understand God's ways, but when I started to read the story again recently I noticed something that I think is profound.

God knows Job. Not as one of a beloved multiple billions of people. God Knows Job! It's personal.

God is proud of Job. God likes him. God counts Job as a faithful BFF.

God trusts Job. I know I'm supposed to trust God, but in this story God trusts Job! God believes that no matter what gets thrown at Job, Job will continue to worship Him.

God brags on Job. And when God wins the bet, both God and Job smile.