Dave's Diary

Daily Reading: Job 38

By the time we reach chapter 38 of the Book of Job, this embattled man and his friends have been wrestling with the great question of human suffering, and God’s place in our suffering. For his friends it was theoretical, but for Job it was all about his personal experience of devastating material loss, the heart-rending loss of loved ones, and agonising physical suffering in his body. Job had arrived at a settled place of blaming God for his suffering and accusing God of injustice and wrongdoing.

When God drew near in Job 38, His approach was to ask Job questions to help him realise how little he, Job, actually knew about the world and the God who created it. God was helping Job to see God’s greatness and his own limitations, so that Job would trust God again, even when he couldn’t see what God was accomplishing through his struggles. The complexity of the created order points us to a God who knows exactly what He is doing even when we have absolutely no clue whatsoever how all of this possibly fits together.

Job’s situation was desperately painful, but God wanted Job to trust Him, His power and His goodness in the face of it all. God invited Job to consider the wonder and complexity of Creation and the glorious wisdom, understanding and power that so evidently went into creating it – and still goes into sustaining it daily – so that God would be put back in His rightful place in Job’s estimation.

If there are painful things happening in our lives at the moment that we simply don’t understand, let’s not turn on God as if He is the enemy. Instead, let’s consider the glories of the created world around us, let’s incline our hearts to worship God its Creator, and let’s place God in His rightful place as Lord and King over it all, and over our lives, knowing that He has promised ultimately to work everything together for the good of those who love Him.

Lord, into Your hands I commend my soul, my life, my all. Amen.