Some point to Job as proof that sickness is God’s will for many people. While it is true that God permitted Job’s illness to show Satan that Job would not turn from his Lord in the face of adversity, it is important to see that the affliction was a direct work of the devil (2:2). When God later healed him and restored his losses, the Hebrew text literally refers to his recovery as a return from captivity, an evidence that his restoration was a driving back of evil, a recovering of something that had been “captured from him” (42:10).
Job’s healing also coincides with repentance. Chapter 29 seems to reveal that Job was extremely self-centered, and he repented later (42:5, 6). Job’s changed attitude and God’s restoration are linked. And Job’s spirit of forgiveness toward his friends became pivotal for his own well-being and for theirs (42:7–9).
As we seek the Lord for healing, let us also ask Him to reveal any areas in our lives that require repentance and forgiveness.
