Job, again?

I'm reviewing some of my blog posts, and I find it difficult to believe I've never blogged about the story of Job. I've been fascinated with it for some time... especially the last four or five chapters.

There's so much to say, but unfortunately I don't have much time to write tonight. I will, however, point out a couple of things I noticed in this reading that never sunk in before.

1) Job 40:8 (one of my favorite verses in Job) - God finally responds to Job's pleas by asking, "Would you discredit my justice? Would you condemn me to justify yourself?" OUCH!! But, he goes on (v. 9-14 ) to tell Job (in the words of Bob Burch), "if you've got 'justice' all figured out, then why don't YOU dispense it." It reminds me a bit of the time my Dad turned the tables on me and my sister. He was ready to spank us both and added that famous phrase which parents love, "this will hurt me more than it hurts you." My response was probably something like, "yea, right." My Dad responded, in his wisdom, by handing me the belt and asking me to spank him. That was quite sobering and taught me a very valuable lesson. Like Job, it's easy for me to challenge someone when I'm not in his position and don't carry his responsibility.

2) In all of God's response (Job 38-41), He never tells Job WHY he suffered. It's nice to know the "whys" in life, but many times we never get the answer. I wonder if the lesson is that, even without the "why," we're supposed to trust that God is good and just, that He loves us and that He's in control.

3) Finally, upon reading through Job this time, I noticed a date I had written in the margin of my Bible. I had highlighted these two verses: (27) "The churning inside me never stops; days of suffering confront me." (31) "My harp is tuned to mourning, and my flute to the sound of wailing." To be honest, it took me quite awhile to determine what I was suffering through at that time. It was another reminder, though. Like Job, when we're in the middle of the struggle, it seems like the world is ending and we'd be better off dead (or never having been born)! But, those are usually only seasons in our life. Years later we nearly even forget them. Once they're in the past, we gain more perspective and see the low points balanced with the joys in life.  Just like the Proverb (30:5) says, "weeping may remain for a night, but rejoicing comes in the morning."