Job spends chapter after chapter asking God and his friends, “Why?”
Why the suffering? Why the silence? Why would God allow someone faithful to lose everything? And when God finally speaks in Job 38, God does not give Job the explanation he wanted. We don't get the explanation we want either.
There is no detailed answer. Instead, I like to say when God finally speaks, all we find out is that God is a tree hugger!
What the Lord does give Job is something better than answers: awe.
God speaks of stars being born, the seas being restrained, and morning breaking through. In this moment, Job’s pain and questions are placed inside something larger and more mysterious than he imagined. Yes, his suffering is real, but now God wants Job to see that the world is held by a wisdom beyond his understanding.
Will Job have enough humility to see it? Will we?
Honestly, that's a little frustrating. We want answers because answers give us a sense of control. We think having the explanations will carry us through. Surely, they can help. But faith is not always about having explanations. Often, faith is learning to trust God even when we cannot make sense of everything.
The Job reminder, then, is to let awe carry you.
Take notice of a sunset over the water. A sky full of stars. Children laughing always gets me! Have you ever sung a song in worship that touched your heart in an awe-like way? These moments don't erase your suffering. But they remind you that suffering isn't everything.
Job never receives the “why.” But he does encounter the presence of God. And that is the power of Job's reminder. Transformation doesn't always need answers to happen. If we stand in awe of who God is, we learn that we've never been alone inside the mystery.
Stay blessed...john
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