Where Were You? Poem by William Chaplar

The Lord told the devil that Job was steadfast;
Said, "His faith in Me is quite unsurpassed."
But Satan dismissed this; he knew Job was flawed.
He knew he could make him say God is a fraud.
So the Lord said, "All right then, I'll give you a shot.
I'll let you see just how much faith Job has got.
But there is a condition; you cannot lay hands.
'Cause that would be something no man could withstand."
So Satan tried making Job denounce the Lord;
took his oxen, his donkeys, and the kids Job adored.
But just when he thought to the Lord he could gloat,
the devil heard these words come out of Job's throat:
"Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked I'll return.
The Lord gives and takes away, and why is not my concern."
So Satan went back to the Lord and he said,
"It might not be enough for his kids to be dead.
But mark my words, were it him that got sick,
I know he'd lose faith in you pretty darn quick."
So the Lord said, "Okay, but you can't take his life.
Short of that, though, feel free to fill it with strife."
So the devil smote Job in a terrible way,
determined that God, Job would soon disobey.
He covered Job's body with hideous sores;
a punishment he felt Job could not ignore.
But when Job's wife told him to curse God and die,
his faith in the Lord he'd once more verify:
"Shall we accept good from God and nothing adverse? "
And once again, Satan had failed to coerce.
But soon Job would falter and start to ask, "Why
with my life filled with suffering, can I not die? "
And many more questions did Job wish to ask
of the Lord who'd imposed such an arduous task.
So the Lord answered Job from the whirlwind and said,
"There's a few questions I'd like to ask you instead.
Where were you when I laid the foundations of Earth?
Can you say when a goat or a deer will give birth?
Does an eagle mount up when you give the command?
Does the sun rise and fall by your all mighty hand?
Job's only response was, "Behold, I am vile!
What now can I do that we might reconcile? "
So the Lord truly blessed all the rest of Job's years.
And Job would, forever, to the Lords' word adhere.
With riches and children, Job's last days were filled,
'cause he always remembered to follow God's will.