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Today we will talk about how God answers Job’s why question in his suffering. It may be a bit of a surprise. You are probably familiar with Job’s story. If you aren’t. Take a minute to read Job 1-2 to see what happened to him.
You will notice that Satan was prowling around looking for trouble. God pointed Job out to him as one of his exemplary people.
“Of course he loves you,” Job said. “Look how you have protected him from harm.” So God told Satan he could touch Job. He could touch anything he had, but he couldn’t touch Job. So that is what Satan did. Later, even that restriction was removed.
The rest of the book is conversations between Job and his friends who make assumptions about the reasons for his suffering. Then, in Job 38, God speaks. (below) It is such a profound reminder to us of how huge God is and how small Job was, but also how small we, as humans, are, ultimately. We want to know why we are suffering, but there is so much going on behind the scenes that we are so unaware of. It just can’t be explained to us in a way that would make our suffering make sense at this point in our lives, at this point in history.
God’s question to Job is one that leaves us in true awe before Him.
We don’t understand the big picture. We know parts of it here and there. I love that question a few lines down. “Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth?” As you keep reading, you begin understanding that it is rather presumptuous of us to expect God to explain anything to us at all! The more times I read this, the more I am struck by His grandeur. Make some time to stop and pause as you read this picturesque language.