There are times when you instantly know you’ve messed up. Big time. Times when you instantly know you should have kept your mouth closed. When you’ve gone too far. When you’ve vastly overstepped.
In today’s reading Job makes those scenarios looks like child’s-play.
Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth? Tell me, if you have understanding.
Job 38:4
As a short recap: Job lost everything, save his wife and friends. His friends and wife challenge him saying he must have done something wrong. His wife tells him to just curse God.
Job pleads his case. And what he says is true. He has acted righteously.
But then he goes too far. He calls God as a witness to his righteousness. That may not seem bad, but the result is questioning God’s providence. Questioning God.
Not a good strategy.
God shows up and sets things straight. He shows Job who God is – and it’s not Job. He reminds Job of his place in the nature of things.
It’s a moment when I suspect Job wishes he had brought a change of pants.
But here’s the thing: Job acknowledges in humility he was wrong in this. He doesn’t double-down. He doesn’t plead for evidence. He doesn’t try to further his cause. He says, “Behold, I am of small account; what shall I answer you? I lay my hand on my mouth” (Job 40:4).
We can learn from this.
So many times we want to plead our case before God. We want the world – and Him – to know that what’s happening to us isn’t “fair.” (What does that even mean?) We want it known that we don’t deserve what is happening.
But there is a careful line here: are we pleadin to God or are we pleading against Him? Are we running to Him for help, for shelter, for comfort, for healing; or are we running to Him questioning His providence and, by extension, His mercy, His grace, His love, His care?
Several steps too far!
Time to change your pants.
God is god. You are not. God’s providence is perfect. Your actions are not. God acts in love and for the good of His people, whether or not we see or feel it right now.
Know that! Trust that! Take comfort in that!
Whatever is happening to you, around you, affecting you, know that God is still on His throne. Nothing that is happening is outside of His sight, His care, His reign.
And neither are you.
Let’s move that to Jesus. Unlike Job He didn’t plead His case before God, but pleaded to God for His case. Like Job (finally did), Jesus was humble before the Lord and trusted that God’s way and plan was best – regardless of how it impacted Him.
And now, through faith in Jesus, we know and can trust that “the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us” (Romans 8:18) and that “for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to His purpose” (Romans 8:28).
That doesn’t mean life will be simple or easy, but it does remind us that, because of Jesus, the pains and sufferings of this world are temporary and will end in glory! Through faith in Jesus, God’s “Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things” (1 Corinthians 13:7).
That’s what gets us through! God and His love shown perfectly in Jesus! Through faith in Him, we can and will get through whatever comes our way!
And we needn’t bring a change of pants for it; because He has already clothed us in His righteousness unto everlasting life!
Thank You, Lord!
“Gracious Father; we confess that when things are difficult we often plead our cause to You rather than plead to You for our cause. Forgive us, Lord and humble us. Focus us back to You and Your loving and divine providence, fulfilled perfectly through Your Son, our Lord, Jesus. Let us focus on Him instead of what’s happening to us, for in Him we have Your mercy, Your grace, Your forgiveness, and Your life everlasting. In Jesus’ precious name do we pray. Amen.”
Scripture
- Job 31:35-37
- Job 38:1-21
- Job 40:1-5
- Psalm 18:1-6
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