God, Are You There?

How does God interact with his creation? And specifically, how does God interact with the human race? Did he put everything in motion and then walk away and let it go? Is he concerned with me?

Job and his friends work on these questions and more in the book of Job. It was a common belief that good things happen to the good and bad things happen to the bad. Many people think much that way today as well. It follows then that when something bad happens to you, you must have done something bad. Job’s friends are very sure of this and they pound Job with his need to repent. But throughout their discourse, Job maintains that he is innocent – that he hasn’t done anything deserving of this hardship that has come upon him.

Though much of what is said by his friends is ‘hot air’, we find them also recognizing God’s greatness in creating the world and the universe. These friends are astonished by Job’s boldness in asking for a hearing with God. They are sure he will be struck by lightning. Their view of God is a judge meting out sentences based on the behaviors of individuals. Therefore, it is obvious to them that Job has messed up big time. That is why he is being punished.

Job has had a good relationship with God up to this point. His view of God is a wise, loving, forgiving God who is his friend. He doesn’t understand why God has stepped back from him. And he demands to be heard and be able to state his case. At one point, he attributes all the things Satan has done to him to God asking why he is doing this to him (Job 19:1-20).

As I listen to Job’s well-meaning friends babble on, I wonder how they can be so hard on him. They are filled with platitudes and they desire for him to confess and get things right with God so God will withdraw his judgment on him. Uh-oh… I wonder how many times I have spouted platitudes to friends in need of encouragement. I wonder how many times I have misjudged the situation thinking I know why they are in the difficulty they are in and that if they would repent, they could get out of the mess.

Job, in the midst of all this hardship and even wishing he were never born, still breaks out in a strong faith statement. “I know that my Redeemer lives, and that in the end he will stand upon the earth. And after my skin has been destroyed, yet in my flesh I will see God; I myself will see him with my own eyes – I, and not another. How my heart yearns within me! Job 19:25-27 He longs for his close friendship with God to be restored.

After the friends have all had their say and Job denies their accusations, God shows up. “Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth?” Job 38:4 And, “Have you ever given orders to the morning, or shown the dawn its place, that it might take the earth by the edges and shake the wicked out of it?” Job 38:12-13 What a colorful word picture of God and his creation!

I wonder if I were in Job’s place if I would be shrinking in my own estimation of myself as God describes creation and all that he does. For instance, he describes the storehouses of the snow and hail. Recently, it dawned on me just how efficiently and cost effective God is at moving water around on the earth. Have you ever thought about how much energy and resources it would take us to move even one good cloud’s worth of water? And he can get it to places we don’t have roads, railroads or any other access to as well. Awesome!

Then God asks a hard question, “Would you discredit my justice? Would you condemn me to justify yourself? Job 40:8 Ouch! Anytime I question God’s sovereignty I am doing just this – thinking I am wiser than God – justifying myself. Along with Job, I find myself repenting, “Surely I spoke of things I did not understand, things too wonderful for me to know… Therefore I despise myself and repent in dust and ashes.” Job 52:3b; 6

God, what can I say? You are totally awesome! You created the world and all that is in it. It all belongs to you and you have complete authority over it. Who am I to question you or your methods? I am humbled by your greatness and even more humbled by your mercy. Thank you for your love and your grace. May I never forget these things but rather, help me to act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with you, my God (Micah 6:8).