Day 6 – Job 10-13

Talking Points

• Job is found considering the age-old question, “Why do the wicked seem to be blessed, while the righteous appear to be condemned?” It is a dilemma that goes back to the nature of God. Is He just if He allows what appears to be a great injustice? Job’s friends believe they must somehow defend God’s integrity, proposing: if Job is suffering, again, the cause must rest with Job, because God is always just.
• Job starts to wonder if life is pointless. Why would God allow him to live and bless him greatly, only to come to this end? He is dealing with deep, hard questions about God and suffering. As we read of Job’s plight, we find it is normal to not understand.
• Even so, again we see Job deferring to God. He knows Him to be trustworthy, and so, even not understanding, his answer is to trust Him. “Though He slay me, I will hope in Him” (13:15). Job, no matter his plight, can’t help but look to God. Job truly was “blameless, upright, fearing God and turning away from evil” (1:1).

Thoughts

Is a life that includes great suffering worth living? Deeper than that — is there even value in suffering? Does that sound ludicrous? A value in suffering? It appears conventional thought would be “no.”

I wonder how much of our personal understanding of God has been shaped by our own suffering or lack of suffering. What depths of the riches of God’s great nature might we miss if we roll through life anesthetized, numbed to the pain that would push us to Him? No one wants to suffer. Yet, as we do, we find God is more gracious, more merciful, more trustworthy than we could ever fathom — and then some.

As I read the verses of Job, I pray my knowledge of God would grow to the place I could agree, come what may, “…I will hope in Him.” He is trustworthy!