While reading the book of Job, and viewing the way Job’s friends tried to point his suffering to some cause, I’m reminded so much of we Christians today. When we are undergoing trials, or are confused, or having a hard time understanding God, we so often go: this is God’s plan, and while I don’t see why this is happening now, I’ll look back someday and understand.
This simply isn’t the case.
In the case of Job, we have no reason to believe that he looked back and understood the purpose for his suffering. he may have realized his spiritual growth throughout that time, but not a root reason or cause. Even Biblical scholars nowadays look at Job and ask why. It’s so much like the tragedy we have been reading. Bad things unavoidably happen to pretty much innocent people (or at least undeserving of the tragic circumstances in their lives), and there is nothing that can be done.
What did Job do? He trusted that God was still all-powerful through what he didn’t understand. And he didn’t go: I’ll trust You because I’ll look back and understand someday. At times he goes on about how he doesn’t understand at all. He questions God. He suffers into the truth. But he doesn’t gain the smack up knowledge of why. However, he always maintained his integrity and trusted the God he didn’t he was self-admittedly clueless about. When confronted with the awesomeness of God, he said: I’ll trust You because You are who You. Unconditional reliance. That’s a tragic spirit we could do with more today. Trust God because God is who He is, not because we can or will always know the why. He’s not a tame lion.
I really love this point Abbey because it's not about us. Sure, we will have a testimony at the end of trials and tribulations, but that isn't the main focus. The chief end of man is not to have a good testimony or to understand the meaning behind it, but rather to simply glorify God. That's what Job did. Through his act of faithfulness, Job glorified God. He trusted Him because of who He was and is, not because of the works of the past. Yes, we can remember what God has done and possibly grow in faith from that. but, wouldn't it be remarkable to get to the place where we trust Him simply because of who He is.
ReplyDeleteVery nice insight. The book of Job leaves a lot of questions unanswered. However, I love that line you used from Narnia. So appropriate in this context. We do not have Him figured out or understood completely.
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