In the book “Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day”, by Judith Viorst, Alexander the main character undergoes a series of difficult events which result in a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day.
On a day when everything goes wrong for him, Alexander is consoled by the thought that other people have bad days too. What we see in the book of Job chapter 1 is a day what would cause the reader to lose sympathy for Alexander and his trials. The calamity about to befall Job is considerably worse than getting gum in his hair or tripping over his skateboard. Everything Job loves is about to be taken away from him and it will all happen in a single day.
God, speaking with Satan, asks him to consider his servant Job and Satan seizes the opportunity.
9 “Does Job fear God for nothing?” Satan replied. 10 “Have you not put a hedge around him and his household and everything he has?
The events that follow for Job show the beginning of a trial that is unequaled in the Old Testament. Job will lose his Servants, his Flocks and even his Children; arguably more than any man should be able to bare. Yet in face of overwhelming tragedy, Job falls to his knees and finds the strength to praise the Lord who gives and who takes away.
21 “Naked I came from my mother’s womb,
and naked I will depart.[c]
The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away;
may the name of the Lord be praised.”
Alexander has never seen a bad day compared to Job. The remaining chapters of Job show us a man who truly had a Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day and in spite of Satan’s attack stands firm in his Faith.