Recently my small group at church studied the Book of Job. I thought I knew what this book was about. Some thoughts I had were, why do good people suffer? Why does God allow bad things to happen to good people? How to react when well-intentioned friends offer us lousy advice. And finally, how to be strong in our faith in the face of family members that tell us nonsense. We will face storms and suffering in this world. It is inevitable. Where we place our security and build our foundation is crucial to standing during and after the assault. The book of Job demonstrates the wisdom of recognizing God as the foundation of our beliefs and faith.
I can’t even imagine how Job felt when he suddenly lost all his children, servants, and livestock. I have fallen into the worldly view more times than I should to place my worth and happiness in what I have. Job 1:21-22 made me realize that I have put my security in the wrong place. This passage reads, “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I will depart. The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised. In all this, Job did not sin by charging God with wrongdoing.” I want my faith to be strong enough to respond like Job, but I know mine is not. I have every reason to praise God every day. Everything I have is a gift from God on loan to me to be a good steward of it. Yet, when I encounter difficult times, I don’t necessarily turn from God, but I am not sure I turn toward God either.
I don’t think anyone reads Job to feel better. It is not one of the books of the Bible I turn to for encouragement and inspiration. Before studying this book, I thought it was about a blessed man who lost everything. He had three friends who tried to help, but their efforts missed the mark. I knew Job suffered horribly under attacks from Satan. And by the end of the book, God had once again restored a family and wealth to Job. Under all these circumstances, it seems normal to ask, “Why is all this happening to me”? Many expect to have an easy life after accepting Jesus as their savior. Some people may take Christ’s gift of salvation to get out of some trouble they are facing. What is essential is our motive in accepting Jesus as our savior. God knows our hearts and knows our motives. He knew Job was “a man blameless and upright; he feared God and shunned evil” (Job 1:1). God knew why Job feared him. It was not just because of all the blessings God had given Job, but because in Job’s heart, he truly was blameless, upright, and feared God. God also knew that Job could stand this time of testing. Our motive for accepting Jesus as a savior must be utter repentance. We must realize we are sinners in need of a supernatural savior. Any reason other than knowing we are sinners living in a sin-filled world, unable ever to be good enough to make it to heaven on our own, is the wrong reason to accept Jesus.
However, I think it is also acceptable to ask “why .” Questioning God is not necessarily a sin. It can lead to sinning if we disobey God. There are numerous instances in the Bible where people questioned God. Abraham, Mary, and David are just a few examples. The critical thing to remember is that you continue to have hope in the “why.” If you did not think God existed or could intervene on your behalf, why ask “why”? We must always believe in the supremacy of God and his perfect love, even during times of suffering, loneliness, despair, and heartache.
As we studied these chapters, I was amazed at the awesomeness of God. I am convicted for all the times I thought I knew how life should go. The first several questions God asked Job also apply to us today. “Where were you when I laid the earth’s foundation? Who marked off its dimensions: Surely you know? Who stretched a measuring line across it?” (Job 38:4-5) “Who shut up the sea behind the doors when it burst forth from the womb when I made the clouds its garment and wrapped it in thick darkness when I fixed limits for it and set its doors and bars in place. (Job 38:10) God is sovereign and knows when the mountain goats give birth (Job 39:1). These chapters are rich and beautiful. I am still in awe as I reread them. These chapters tell me about the mighty God I serve. He is the God of creation, holy, perfect, omniscient, omnipresent, and so much more. He is more significant than my feeble human brain can even comprehend. And yet, this magnificent God wants to have a relationship with me. He wants to have a relationship with all his children. He does not desire anyone to perish (2 Peter 3:9). Our response should mirror Job’s instantaneous humility and reverence before the Almighty God when confronted with God’s awesomeness.
Our understanding is nowhere near the wisdom of God. We should not presume to be on the same level as God. After God finished questioning Job, Job gave his reply. We should all have his heart attitude when contemplating God, suffering, and our place in it. “I know that you can do all things; no purpose of yours can be thwarted. You asked, ‘Who is this that obscures my plans without knowledge?’ Surely, I spoke of things I did not understand, things too wonderful for me to know” (Job 42:2-3). It is one thing to have the head knowledge that God can do all things, and no one or thing can circumvent God’s purpose. Still, when this truth takes root in our hearts, it will have the power to change how we view life and our circumstances.
The lesson I learned from studying Job was not how to endure suffering like Job. But more about the incredible God Job trusted and worshipped, and I trust and praise today. It is easy to get caught up and dragged down by suffering. There is a gap in our philosophy that what we want and our needs are at the center of our universe. This way of thinking is a lie from the enemy to take our attention off the true hero of the Bible, God, and put ourselves on the same level as God. Not all suffering is at the hands of our enemy, but no matter the cause of it, we can always praise God during hardship. People may say, “I know I should praise God, but I don’t know how or what to say.” I would point you to Job 36-41. These chapters are full of God’s preeminence. Look up into the night sky and view the constellations. The stars did not just land in these patterns; God put them there.
The reasons to praise God are all around us. We must open our eyes and hearts to see it. I will experience more opportunities to ask, “Why is this happening?” I pray that I will look to God for the answer and not demand God respond in my timing or will. God’s ways are not my ways, and His thoughts are not mine (Isaiah 55:8). Praise God; he is in control and can be trusted.
Peace in the Desert 