September 14

Eliphaz continues to press sinfulness onto Job. Job is now accused of specific sins: for denying help to the poor, for being pious. But we remember that in the first chapter God called Job: blameless and upright, a man who fears God.

Job's responses sound like: 1) Where is God? I want to talk to Him 2) Why is God allowing this to happen to me when I don't deserve it?

If only I knew where to find him;

if only I could go to his dwelling!

I would state my case before him

and fill my mouth with arguments.

I would find out what he would answer me,

and consider what he would say.

Would he oppose me with great power?

No, he would not press charges against me.

There an upright man could present his case before him,

and I would be delivered forever from my judge. (Job 23:8-12)

These are common responses when we struggle. God somehow seems far, although it is our fear that really keeps us far from Him. At the same time we long to hear from Him because we desperately need answers. Not only that, but we are ready to argue with Him. We do not deserve this suffering, then why is it happening to us? Despite the struggle, I see beauty in this: we are calling our Father. We have the naïve courage which only a child has: to summon her dad and argue with Him. Most children would not do this with strangers. There is comfort in knowing that the almighty God has offered us to bring all our feelings and worries to Him, each child individually.

I cannot begin to understand what Job was going through. I had my struggles, but nothing like losing everything I held dear at once. I have a friend who lost her father few years back. God put me in her path at that time. Couple years later we were talking about suffering and trusting God. I was trying to be understanding and said that it must be natural to struggle with God and drift apart from Him during cruel suffering. My friend said: 'But even when my dad was dying I kept going to church to worship God.' I responded partly amazed, partly distrusting: 'Really?!' She said: 'Of Course!' I will always remember this determined 'of course' till the rest of my life.

Even though Job struggles while searching for justice, he still praises God. I cannot help but think that Job's ability to praise God in the midst of his tragedy has to do with having a strong personal relationship with God prior to all this happening to him. Yes, he followed and feared God, but could he have done this without his heart personally loving God?

Perhaps stories of suffering can be put on scales and we can say: 'This story is really, really hard." But at the same time if God is God, His goodness, His love for us and His justice must be complete - they cannot have degrees. Perhaps sometimes it hurts so much, that God is the only one holding the relationship together. My hope is that we listen to Job's story today and live out these words in both the good and bad times:

But he knows the way that I take;

when he has tested me, I will come forth as gold.

My feet have closely followed his steps;

I have kept to his way without turning aside.

I have not departed from the commands of his lips;

I have treasured the words of his mouth more than my daily bread. (Job 23:13-17)

And we can do the above only out of love for our Father. Let's just sit back for 5 minutes and reflect on God's complete goodness. Do you believe it?