Then Job replied to the LORD: “I know that You can do all things; no plan of Yours can be thwarted. You asked, ‘Who is this that obscures my counsel without knowledge?’ Surely I spoke of things I did not understand, things too wonderful for me to know. (Job 42:1-3)
“Surely I spoke of things I did not understand, things too wonderful for me to know.” That to me summarizes the book of Job. There are certain things in life that we simply do not understand, things that are beyond our mental grasp. Though we may like to figure everything out, sometimes we can’t. And it takes humility to say, “This one is beyond me. I have to trust God in this situation because I can’t figure it out on my own.”
In Job’s case, his suffering did not make sense. How do you process losing everything you possess and everything dear to you in the span of fifteen minutes? How do you deal with the grief of losing all of your children in one day while you are doing everything you can to serve God and follow Him? These things make no sense. What can we learn from this?
My suffering does not always make sense. Sometimes there are fairly clear reasons why we suffer. If I get burnt while trying to delicately remove pizza from a hot oven without an oven mitt, then it is pretty obvious why I am suffering–because of my own foolish choices. But sometimes we suffer for no apparent reasons. We can be living for God, doing what is right, helping others, and still get hit with a major trial or tragedy. These times do not make sense and often seem grossly unfair. However, in the midst of such a trial, we must remember that God is control, and then pray for His help, listen for His voice, wait on His timing, and trust in His grace.
The suffering of others does not always make sense. Job’s words–”surely I spoke of things I did not understand”–also apply to his friends. Their biggest mistake was presuming to know why Job suffered and arrogantly analyzing Job’s situation. They “spoke of things they did not understand” as if they did. It is a reminder to me to exercise humility in dealing with others. I do not know their lives. I do not know their hearts. I do not know how God is working in their lives. Therefore, I should always see others through eyes of humility and grace…even when they are in the midst of sin. Brethren, if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently. But watch yourself, or you also may be tempted (Galatians 6:1).
There is a part of us that can find a faint sense of satisfaction when others suffer or fail. “Aha, I knew they weren’t so great. They thought they were so special. Now God is finally getting them.” How arrogant. I think the envy of Job’s friends of his early successes in life made them all too eager to nitpick his life when suffering hit. We have to be careful because this same sinful heart abides in us. When we find smug satisfaction in another’s sufferings, we need to declare with Job, “Therefore I despise myself and repent in dust and ashes.”
Hope can only be found in God. Finally Job learned, “I know that You can do all things; no plan of Yours can be thwarted.” God’s plan will succeed. He is in control. And He has promised that “all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose” (Romans 8:28). It may not make sense now. But it will make sense one day. God makes no mistakes. No trial in our life is wasted. And nothing we may lose in this life can compare with that which we will gain in the end.