Overcoming Adversity

“To find Happiness & Joy, no matter what comes,

we must make our stand unequivocally with the Lord!”
- James E. Faust

Story: Tell the Story of Job using the following pictures

Discussion: What do your struggle with? What are the members

of your family having to deal with? Take turns going around and talking
about what is hard in each persons life. Talk about how Job teaches us the
way to find Joy and happiness, by staying close to the Lord and trusting in
him!

Activity: Memorize Job 19:25 – Print out the cards for each person
in the family to put on their mirror or in their scriptures as a
bookmark.
Each day repeat this scripture together as a family until you
have it memorized.
Job had 7 sons and 3 daughters.
He was also very wealthy –
He owned 7,000 sheep,
3,000 camels,
500 yoke of Oxen, 500 Donkeys
and a great household!
One day a messenger came to Job and told him
– the Oxen and donkeys were destroyed by the Sabeans people who also
killed all the servants except for me
While he was still speaking another messenger came to Job and told him
– fire from heaven hath burned up all his sheep and the servants with them,
only I am left to escape and tell thee.
And while he was still speaking another messenger came to Job and told him
– all the Camels have been carried away by the people of the Chaldeans who
also killed the servants, only I am left to escape and tell thee.
And while he was still speaking another messenger came to Job and told him
– all your Children were eating together and the wind came and blew the
house down and killed them, only I am left to escape and tell thee.
 What did Job do & say?
Job 1:20,21 “Then Job arose, and rent his mantle, and shaved his head, and fell down upon
the ground, and worshipped, and said, Naked came I out of my mother’s womb, and naked shall
I return thither: the Lord gave and the Lord hath taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.”
Then a sad thing happened to Job. He became afflicted with sore boils all over his body. He
was miserable. His wife asked him why did he not curse God, and die? Job would not!

Job had 3 friends

Job had 3 friends who heard what happened to Job and came to comfort him and mourn with them. For
7 days and 7 nights they sat with him because his grief was very great.
Yet after a while his friends began to blame him for his troubles and were no longer a comfort to him.

Job had been through the worst time of his life. He had questioned many things. He
didn’t know why he had been born, why God was not stopping his suffering, he did
not have
have any answers – Except to believe and trust in God.
 Job 13:15 ““Though
Though He slay me, yet will I trust in Him”
Job 19:25 “I know that my Redeemer Liveth”
Job 42:10 “And the Lord turned the captivity of Job, when he prayed for his friends: also the Lord gave
Job twice as much as he had done before.”
42:12 “So the Lord blessed the latter end of Job more than his beginning: for he had 14.000 Sheep,
and 6,000 Camels, and 1,000 yoke of oxen and 1,000 she asses.”
42:13 “He had also 7 sons and 3 daughters.
 Discussion
“We learn much about dealing with suffering from “a man in
the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and that man was perfect
and upright, and one that feared God, and eschewed evil.” (Job 1:1)
Satan obtained leave from the Lord to tempt and try Job. Job was
rich and had seven sons and three daughters, but his property and
children were all destroyed. What effect did this have on Job? Said he, speaking of the
Lord, “Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him,” (Job 13:15) and, “He also shall be my
salvation.” (Job 13:16) Job attested, “For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall
stand at the latter day upon the earth: and though after my skin worms destroy this body,
yet in my flesh shall I see God.”(Job 19:25-26) Job completely trusted the Lord to take care of
all of the other concerns.

The way to find joy in this life is to resolve, like Job, to endure all for God and His
work. By so doing we will receive the infinite, priceless joy of being with our Savior in the
eternities. As we sing in one of our well-known hymns:

The soul that on Jesus hath leaned for repose

I will not, I cannot, desert to his foes;
That soul, though all hell should endeavor to shake,
I’ll never, no never, no never forsake! (Hymn “How Firm a Foundation” no.85)

We have much reason to hope. Joy can be ours if we are willing to sacrifice all for
the Lord. Then we can look forward to the infinitely priceless possibility of overcoming all
the challenges of this life. Then we will be with the Savior forever”
- James E. Faust