We as a church have been reading Job the last few days if you’ve been following along with our Bible-in-a-year plan. Most people who have been in church for some time are at least vaguely familiar with Job: he’s the guy who Satan takes everything away from–except his life–and seemingly God stands back and allows this to happen. Job is understandably shaken, his wife is the worst advice-giver, and his friends aren’t much help either. Anytime your conversation with someone heads toward, “why do bad things happen to good people”, Job is often referenced. And of course, we like to make light of Job’s laments, making jokes about how he’s a whiner who can’t get over himself.
Yes, the book of Job is familiar to many indeed, and familiar Bible passages have a tendency to be overlooked and/or over-simplified. However, we know that the word of God does not return void (Isaiah 55:11), so we press on through the 42 chapters of Job when the opportunity presents itself.
While going through our reading earlier this week, I was struck by a new idea; a new conviction. In chapter 9, Job is replying to his friend Bildad, who has just urged Job to remember that wicked men cannot endure, and that Job needs to “seek God and plead with the Almighty for mercy..surely then he will rouse himself for you and restore your rightful habitation” (Job 8:5-6 ESV). Job answers, “how can a man be in the right before God?” (9:2). Job then goes on to list all of the things he knows to be true about God: He is wise in heart and mighty in strength; able to remove mountains and shake the earth out of its place; He commands the sun, seals up the stars, and stretched out the heavens (9:4-9). Job knows and agrees that God is powerful and sovereign. But as we read on, I began to suspect that Job does not believe that God is good.
It is strange to read these chapters and watch how Job’s brain struggles to hold the tension of justice. Job goes on to explain that even though he believes himself to be without fault, he can never make a perfectly just God change his mind. One chapter he declares that God will save him, and the next he loathes his life because he can never win an argument against Yahweh.
I find myself identifying with Job in this internal struggle. I know God is powerful and able to do more than I could ever ask or imagine (Ephesians 3:20), but if I’m being honest, I don’t pray like that. I understand in my head that my God can move mountains, but in my heart, I doubt that the unbelievers in my life can ever be touched by Him. I declare that God can use the lowest of us to advance His name and His kingdom, but I sit on the sidelines and worry that I’m just “not
quite ready” to start whatever project He has placed in front of me. Perhaps the greatest sin of my unbelief is thinking that the hardness of a human heart is stronger than the Spirit’s ability to breakthrough.
Likely you are reading this and considering your own unbelief, or belief in half-truths as well. Whether it’s a belief in a powerful-but-not-good God, a God whose justice only applies to certain people, or a God who doesn’t look anything like the one in the Bible at all, we can all benefit from asking ourselves who we really think God is. I don’t want to spend my entire Christian walk thinking God is something that He’s not, or shouting things that I don’t believe to be true. The good news is that we don’t have to guess about God. He gave us everything we need to know about Him in His word (maybe not everything we want to know about Him, but I’m guessing that we’ll eventually find out that was a gift in itself, too). God’s ultimate goal is his own glory, and what better way to glorify Him than to seek His scriptures! Who could possibly do a better job of telling us about God’s character than God himself?
If there is any area of unbelief or misconception about God’s character in your life, look for some passages this week to rectify that. If you struggle with God’s goodness, justice, authority, sovereignty, etc., a simple search through a concordance (or Google) can set your path straight. Allow the Word to speak truth to you. God is not surprised or dismayed at our struggles–our sinful nature and fickle minds are nothing new to Him. But we must not get comfortable with seeing God through half-truths and sort-of-accurate perspectives.
And Jesus said to him, “‘If you can’! All things are possible for one who believes.” Immediately the father of the child cried out and said, “I believe; help my unbelief!” Mark 9:23-24
Photo by Quentin Dr on Unsplash
