What Do You Know?

Day 14.
“Who is this that darkens counsel by words without knowledge?
Dress for action like a man;
I will question you, and you make it known to me.
“Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth?
Tell me, if you have understanding. (Job 38:2-4 ESV)

After Job’s discourse God answers. In essence Job’ discourse expresses his integrity, his innocence. Since he can’t find reason for his suffering he feels he has a case against God and wants a hearing. He never loses faith in God and maintains his belief that God is God and can do whatever he will, and that in the end God will redeem his life, but his inability to grasp the reason for his suffering is a kind of accusation against God.

The amazing thing is to see that God condescends and is willing to come and stand in the courtroom with Job. But his defense exposes Job’s presumption. “Where we’re you when I laid the foundations of the earth?…” and he launches into many aspects of his creation that are beyond are understanding or control yet are within His. His answer to Job is, in essence, this: just because you can’t explain your suffering doesn’t mean there isn’t explanation. God’s wisdom is so far greater than man’s. We must remember that. There will be times when you are stumped and perplexed, maybe even suffering and want to ask, “why, God?” The question is okay. The accusation that is often behind the question is not. It is okay, even appropriate and encouraged, to pursue wisdom and understanding. But we cannot forget that man has limits and God does not. There will always be some things beyond our figuring out and in those cases we must simply trust God. The young child does this with his parents. The teenager does not. The twenty-something with a new baby begins to see again that his parents have more wisdom than he thought as a teenager. We must get back to that place too, but with God.

Have you ever been frustrated with God?

Now before the unsearchable wisdom of God, and thank Him that He is God and you are not.

Chronological Reading Plan plus Psalms: Job 38-39, Ps 14