Q&A
What questions would you like answered by God?
Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth? Tell me, if you have understanding. Who determined its measurements surely you know! Or who stretched the line upon it? On what were its bases sunk, or who laid its cornerstone when the morning stars sang together and all the heavenly beings shouted for joy? Or who shut in the sea with doors when it burst out from the womb? when I made the clouds its garment, and thick darkness its swaddling band, and prescribed bounds for it, and set bars and doors, and said, Thus far shall you come, and no farther, and here shall your proud waves be stopped? - Job 38:4-11
The story of Job is all about trying to get answers to a question we may all have had at least once in our lives, "Why me?"
What have I done to deserve what has happened to me?
When Job finally hears from God, he does not get the answers he hoped for. He comes to regret having wanted God's response.
Gods message is clear. He says there is no way Job can know or understand His ways. It is more a put down than an answer and Job backs off.
Who can stand up to God and win?
At first, the God of Job seems very different from the loving Father Jesus tells his followers about. But if we look at the story from the beginning, when God first offers Job as a good candidate for testing, we might be able to see God the way Jesus knows Him.
When it comes to our faith, we talk about us having trust in God, and we should, but we don't think about God trusting us.
God was proud of Job, knowing him to be faithful and true. He trusted Job to withstand any calamity, and Job did as God expected.
Job proved that there is nothing that evil can bring down upon him that would turn him away from God.
While Job was faithful, he remained troubled, haunted by the one question we all want answered, "Why?"
If he truly knew God, he would know. God loves him so much he made Job an example.
Now, Job might not have agreed to be chosen that way, and neither would we. Some would say doesn't give us more than we can handle, but this is not coming from God. It comes from the world.
Whether we like it or not, the world is a harsh place, and God knows better than we how harsh it is.
He created it. And the chaos and destruction may be necessary to keep it alive and fruitful.
We were not there when He created it, so, as He tells Job, how could we understand?
More to come...