Weakness

Readings for today: Job 40:6-42, Psalms 29

I remember the first time we took my son to the beach. We had just moved to Mobile, AL. He was all of two years old. When we crested the dune and looked out over the Gulf of Mexico, he got so excited. He started to run as fast as his little legs would take him to the water. All of a sudden, it dawned on him that the water was moving. Wave after wave was crashing in. He stopped in his tracks. Put his little arms out and started yelling, “You stop! You stop!” And then he began to cry as he realized the wind and the waves wouldn’t listen. I chuckled as I picked him up. We went into the water together. But I’ve often reflected back on that moment. What my son experienced there was utter powerlessness. Especially in the face of something awesome like an ocean. I’ve felt similarly when I look up in the night sky and see the stars. When I’m standing on top of a fourteen thousand foot mountain in the Rockies. When I’m in a rural village in the middle of nowhere on the other side of the world. It’s those moments when I truly understand how small and weak and insignificant I am.

Job has a similar moment when he encounters God. For almost forty chapters, he’s been crying for justice. Demanding God answer him and give an account for why everything has happened to him. He’s sat in sackcloth and ashes. He’s scraped his skin with broken pottery. His wife has cursed him. His friends have offered little consolation. He feels so alone. And then, amazingly, God does show up. But not to answer Job. Instead, God reminds him of his place in the world. His powerlessness. His helplessness. His finiteness. “Would you really challenge my justice? Would you declare me guilty to justify yourself? Do you have an arm like God’s? Can you thunder with a voice like his? Adorn yourself with majesty and splendor, and clothe yourself with honor and glory. Pour out your raging anger; look on every proud person and humiliate him. Look on every proud person and humble him; trample the wicked where they stand.  Hide them together in the dust; imprison them in the grave. Then I will confess to you that your own right hand can deliver you.” (Job‬ ‭40‬:‭8‬-‭14‬ ‭CSB‬‬) It’s a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the Living God. To be given a sober reminder of how little authority we actually have in this world. We are utterly unable to clothe ourselves with splendor and glory. Helpless to trample the wicked where they stand or humble the proud. Job wasn’t able to save his children. Job wasn’t able to exact retribution on those who killed his servants and stole his livestock. Job wasn’t able to heal himself from the disease that afflicted him. In short, Job had absolutely no power or authority to deliver himself much less challenge God.

The same is true for us. I think this is why the Psalmist declares, “The Lord sits enthroned over the flood; the Lord sits enthroned, King forever. The Lord gives his people strength; the Lord blesses his people with peace.” (Psalms‬ ‭29‬:‭10‬-‭11‬ ‭CSB‬‬) Everything we have comes from the Lord. It is God who works in us both to will and to work according to His good pleasure. It is only through Christ and His wisdom and strength that we can meet and overcome the challenges of our world. It is God who gives us a hope and a future as we follow His plan for our lives. It is God’s power that is made perfect in our weakness. So rather than grumble and complain all the time, we should be thankful. Thankful in the good times. Thankful in the hard times. Thankful when we have plenty. Thankful when we are struggling. Thankful for the Lord’s abiding and faithful presence in our lives.

Readings for tomorrow: Exodus 1-4

Insignificance

Readings for today: Job 37-40:5, Psalms 19

It is good to acknowledge our insignificance. It is good to understand our place in society, our place in the world, our place in the universe, our place in God’s eternal plan. We are so very small. So very weak. So very ignorant. We don’t begin to see even the edges of God’s ways. We see barely a fraction of what He sees and we understand even less. We are so limited. So finite. We don’t even know how to think rationally or process our emotions in a healthy way or search the recesses of our own hearts much less grasp the mysteries of the universe. Who are we to judge God? Who are we to question His ways? Who are we to argue with Him over justice and righteousness and the affairs of the world and the meaning of human suffering? Even the fact that we think we have the standing to ask these questions of the Creator of the universe betrays our arrogance. We are foolish. We are ignorant. And deep down we all know it.

Eliphaz, Bildad, Zophar, and Elihu have all had their turn. They’ve all taken their best shot to explain why Job is suffering so much. They’ve all tried to answer Job’s questions. They’ve all done their best to defend God. But God doesn’t need our defense. God doesn’t need us to speak for Him. God doesn’t need to explain Himself to us. He is God. We are not. And He reminds Job and his friends of this reality as He speaks to them from the whirlwind. “Then the Lord answered Job from the whirlwind. He said: Who is this who obscures my counsel with ignorant words? Get ready to answer me like a man; when I question you, you will inform me. Where were you when I established the earth? Tell me, if you have understanding.”(Job‬ ‭38‬:‭1‬-‭4‬ ‭CSB‬‬) Right from the jump, God puts Job in his place. It’s tempting to read anger into God’s words. Frustration. But that would be a projection. There is nothing here to indicate God is speaking out of wrath. He simply is reminding Job of how little he knows and understands.

Thankfully, Job responds with humility. He acknowledges his foolishness. He places his hand over his mouth. He refuses to speak again. All his protestations have gone silent. All his demands fall to the wayside as he falls on his face before the Lord in worship. “The Lord answered Job: Will the one who contends with the Almighty correct him? Let him who argues with God give an answer. Then Job answered the Lord: I am so insignificant. How can I answer you? I place my hand over my mouth. I have spoken once, and I will not reply; twice, but now I can add nothing.” (Job‬ ‭40‬:‭1‬-‭5‬ ‭CSB‬‬) Here we see Job’s heart. Here we see Job’s character revealed. Job has never wavered in his love for God. Never wavered in his fear of God. Though he cried out to God in the midst of his pain and suffering, he never sins. He never curses God. And when God finally answers. When God finally shows up on the scene to confront Job. Job does what he always does. Job does what he’s done his whole life. He worships.

At the end of the day, all of us have to decide if we can trust God. Do we trust His plan for our lives and for our world? Do we trust His goodness even when it doesn’t make sense? Do we trust His righteousness even when we don’t understand? Do we trust Him to be faithful even when we are suffering? Listen again to the words of the Psalmist and ask the Holy Spirit to give you the faith to believe even in those seasons when you might be experiencing unbelief or doubts or questions or fears. “The instruction of the Lord is perfect, renewing one’s life; the testimony of the Lord is trustworthy, making the inexperienced wise. The precepts of the Lord are right, making the heart glad; the command of the Lord is radiant, making the eyes light up. The fear of the Lord is pure, enduring forever; the ordinances of the Lord are reliable and altogether righteous.” (Psalms‬ ‭19‬:‭7‬-‭9‬ ‭CSB‬‬)

Readings for tomorrow: Job 40:6-42, Psalms 29

Chronological Snobbery

Readings for today: Job 33-36

Elihu is a strange figure in Job. He appears seemingly out of nowhere and disappears just as quickly. He is not mentioned at the end of the book when God judges Job’s three other friends and commands Job to pray and offer sacrifices for them. This leads some scholars to believe the Elihu discourse is a later addition to the text. However, I think Elihu is there to represent the folly of youth. The latent chronological snobbery that all of us engage in when we are young and think we have all the right answers. Elihu doesn’t add much to the equation except to repeat the tired old argument that suffering is the direct consequence of human sin. There must be something Job has done to deserve his fate. His words, though perhaps asserted with more certainty, ring just as hollow as the others who have come to “comfort” Job.

I have raised four great kids. Four great humans who are making a difference in our world. I am so proud of each of them but it’s not always been easy. There were seasons, especially when they were in high school, when I went from the smartest man they knew to the dumbest. Almost overnight. Everything was an argument. I could say black and they would say white. I could say night and they would say day. I could say the sky is blue and they would say it’s actually a “blueish purple” but we only perceive it as blue because of how the wavelengths are impacted by the Earth’s atmosphere. If you’ve ever been the parent of a teenager, I am sure you understand. I remember one conversation where my oldest daughter was trying to convince me of the virtues of communism as a political philosophy. I had to remind myself over and over again that she had never seen the Berlin Wall fall. She had never experienced the Cold War. She had not yet studied the history of the 20th century where millions lost their lives under Communist regimes. Eventually, I told her I could introduce her to someone who had experienced the “virtues” of communism firsthand. A friend of mine who is a survivor of the “Killing Fields” of Pol Pot in Cambodia. This sobered her up a bit and it reminded me yet again of the folly of youth.

I was much the same way at her age. Convinced of my own righteousness. Utterly certain of my own thoughts and ideas. I engaged in all kinds of chronological snobbery as I dismissed the wisdom of those who came before me. Thankfully, life taught me some hard lessons. I’ve been humbled in any number of ways. I’ve learned to value the wisdom of those who’ve come before me and listen to their words. I’ve learned to not take myself too seriously or falsely assume I bring anything new to the table. I don’t. A wise man once said, “There’s nothing new under the sun.” I agree. Humanity seems forever locked in a cycle of “wash, rinse, repeat.” Our addiction to sin can only broken by the power of the gospel. What Elihu and Job’s other friends need is a fresh encounter with God and a reminder that no one speaks for God except God Himself.

Readings for tomorrow: Job 37-40:5, Psalms 19

Final Appeal

Readings for today: Job 29-32

Today we come to Job’s final appeal. He has come to the end of himself. He has nothing left. Nowhere else to go. No one else to turn to. He has hit rock bottom. He looks back with longing for the days when things were good. When he walked closely with God. When he was respected in the community. When he was able to be generous to others. When he had the energy and the resources to help others. He was sure this was how his days would end. He was sure his future was secure. But then calamity struck. His fortunes took a turn for the worse. His reputation in the community suffered a mortal blow. Now the very same people who used to love and respect him, mock him. The very same people he helped and served along the way now rise up against him. His life has been poured out. His energy and resources utterly depleted. His expectations of a long and fruitful life dashed. He’s tried crying out to God but to no avail. There seems to be no answer. Heaven is closed. He is alone. The walls have closed in all around him. There is no one to give him any comfort or any relief.

Have you ever hit rock bottom? Have you ever found yourself in a place where you feel like the walls are closing in? No one is left to help you? No one is left to comfort you? Not even God? In the summer of 2009 and into the fall, I found myself in such a place. The ministry I was leading had imploded, costing me several relationships. It was the most painful experience of my life. Members of my board threatened me. Those I considered friends abandoned me. My relationships at home with my wife and children were strained at best. I was not handling it well. I made so many mistakes during that time. I tried as hard as I could to redeem the situation in my own strength. But the harder I tried, the worse things got. I too cried out to God but to no avail. There seemingly was no answer. Heaven felt closed to me. My prayers bounced off the ceiling. Finally, after months of spending hours in prayer in the night, long after my family had gone to bed, I broke down. I wept. I told God I had nothing left. I finally surrendered. And I discovered God had been there all along. I just couldn’t sense Him in my pain and brokenness and sin.

“The words of Job are concluded.” (Job 31:40) This is a good thing. It’s always good to exhaust our words so we can begin listening for God’s Word. It’s always good to shut our mouths so we can open our ears. It’s always good to come to the end of ourselves so we can find a new beginning with God. Over the course of my life, I have found God does His best work in the empty spaces of my life when I have nothing left to give. So make your final appeal. Cry out to God with all you’ve got. Exhaust yourself and your energy and your resources assailing the heavens. Know that God is with you even as you do and when you are finished, He will speak. He will comfort. He will guide.

Readings for tomorrow: Job 33-36

Self Worth

Readings for today: Job 25-28

I have known people like Bildad. People who believe human beings are worms. Maggots. Vile, wretched creatures unworthy of God’s attention. Unfortunately, there are theological traditions in the Christian faith that promote such beliefs. In their zeal to underscore the vast chasm that exists between human beings and God, they lift up verses like the one from Job 25 today. “How can a human be justified before God? How can one born of woman be pure? If even the moon does not shine and the stars are not pure in his sight, how much less a human, who is a maggot, a son of man, who is a worm!” (‭‭Job‬ ‭25‬:‭4‬-‭6‬ ‭CSB‬‬) On some level, they are right but they are also only telling half the story. And half a truth is no truth at all. Yes, when compared to God, we are impure. We are unrighteous. We are unholy. This is why it is impossible to justify ourselves before Him. At the same time, we’ve been made a little lower than the angels. God loved us so much, He gave His only Son for us. God predestined us in love before the foundations of the world to be His children. Adopted into His family. Given all the rights and privileges therein. This is the beauty and the glory of the gospel. God sees our sin. He sees it all. There is nothing hidden from Him. Nothing to justify us in His sight. So He does for us what we cannot. He justifies us through His Son. He clothes us in His own righteousness. He sanctifies us by His own Spirit.

The gospel is the wisdom of God. It is the foolishness of God that confounds the wise. It is the weakness of God that overcomes the strong. It is the death of God that offers eternal life to the world. This is why it is impossible for us to find such wisdom on our own. It is antithetical to our nature. It cuts against the grain of our human experience. It requires us to find our self-worth in self-denial. It requires us to base our self-esteem on serving others. It requires us to give in order to receive. To love rather than seek to be loved. It crosses all boundaries. It breaks down all barriers. It tears down all the dividing walls of hostility that separate us from God and from one another. The history of humanity is a history of violence and suffering and pain. Much of it self-inflicted. As a species, we are naturally greedy and jealous and violent and angry and selfish. This maps out in how we choose to spend our time and energy and resources and who we choose to spend it with. It’s why tribalism is so rampant across the globe. But God offers us a different way. A narrow way. A way that leads to true joy, true peace, true love, and true fulfillment. This is the way Job is seeking amidst all he has suffered. Listen to his words again as things are starting to become more clear to him. “He said to humankind, “The fear of the Lord that is wisdom. And to turn from evil is understanding.” (Job‬ ‭28‬:‭28‬ ‭CSB)

How are you living in the fear of the Lord today? How are you walking in the way of Jesus today? Are you living according to divine wisdom or your own wisdom? Are you living empowered by divine strength or your own strength? Are you seeking to turn from evil and sin in your life or are you trusting what feels good and seems good to you? The only way to discover your true worth is to find it in Christ.

Readings for tomorrow: Job 29-32

The Absence of God

Readings for today: Job 22-24

There is nothing more terrifying than the feeling of existential loneliness. The belief that I am all alone in the universe. A cosmic accident. A product of random, impersonal forces. A collection of atoms. No divine purpose. No human dignity. No moral center. Recently a friend of mine challenged me with this question, “When was the last time you knew Jesus was real and this wasn’t all just a bunch of b**sh**t?” Such a great question. One that deserves a thoughtful answer. I told him about a time three years ago when I was in a rural area in the Horn of Africa. Suffering from jet lag. Lying awake on a hard bed praying for someone I loved dearly who was fighting an incredible battle. After exhausting all my words, I finally gave up and cried out to God, “Jesus, I just don’t have any more words to pray.” In that moment, I experienced the Holy Spirit coming over me in a powerful way. He began to pray for me according to His promise in Romans 8:26. I was overwhelmed. Unable to move for about an hour. At the end of that time, I found myself weeping in relief at the palpable presence of God in my life.

At the same time, I have also had moments where I experienced God’s absence. Much like Job, I didn’t know where to find Him. I couldn’t perceive Him. My prayers felt like they were bouncing off the ceiling. Perhaps that’s why I resonate so deeply with the words we read today, “If only I knew how to find him, so that I could go to his throne. I would plead my case before him and fill my mouth with arguments…If I go east, he is not there, and if I go west, I cannot perceive him. When he is at work to the north, I cannot see him; when he turns south, I cannot find him. Yet he knows the way I have taken; when he has tested me, I will emerge as pure gold.” (Job‬ ‭23‬:‭3‬-‭4‬, ‭8‬-‭10‬ ‭CSB‬‬) Historically, these moments are called the “dark night of the soul.” Moments in a person’s life where they find themselves wandering in deep darkness. Hopeless. Helpless. Despairing. They can last for days, months, or even years. And, as I said above, there is nothing more terrifying than feeling like you’ve been abandoned by God. It’s why Jesus’ cry from the cross is so horrible. “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” The experience of God-forsakenness is a taste of hell on earth. It’s not something I would wish on anybody, not even my worst enemy. But it is the experience of Job. And what makes Job such a profound example of faith is that He is somehow able to hold onto God even when he cannot find Him. He is able to follow God even when he cannot see Him. He is able to trust God even when he cannot feel Him. It’s why he says at the end of his own cry of dereliction, “Yet He knows the way I have taken; when He has tested me, I will emerge as pure gold.” What a testimony of faith!

Every Christian I have ever known has suffered a dark night of the soul. Every Christian I have ever known has walked through the valley of the shadow of death. Every Christian I have ever known has experienced the absence of God in certain seasons of life. The key in those moments is to trust God even when we cannot see Him or sense Him or feel Him or perceive Him. Our faith must transcend beyond our five senses. We must believe in the midst of our doubts and questions and fears. We must remain convinced that God will fulfill His promises though it may not be according to our time or according to our plan. This is the essence of true saving faith.

Readings for tomorrow: No readings on Sundays

Vindication

Readings for today: Job 18-21

In the midst of his terrible suffering, Job holds fast to three fundamental convictions...

1. God is sovereign.

2. God is good and just.

3. Job is faithful.  

These convictions give him the strength to resist his friends when they offer their simplistic, superficial, and ultimately heretical explanations for his suffering. They also give him the courage to stand before the judgment seat of God, trusting the Lord for vindication. We see this reflected in what are perhaps the most famous verses in the Book of Job, “But I know that my Redeemer lives, and at the end he will stand on the dust. Even after my skin has been destroyed, yet I will see God in my flesh. I will see him myself; my eyes will look at him, and not as a stranger. My heart longs within me.” (Job‬ ‭19‬:‭25‬-‭27‬ ‭CSB‬‬) Job, of course, has no idea who Jesus is. The life, death, and resurrection of the Son of God will not be revealed for many centuries. But Job does have faith. He looks forward, as do all the Old Testament saints, to a future yet to be revealed, trusting in a God who will make all things right and all things new. 

Job’s suffering resists all logic. It resists any and all attempts to make sense out of it. It resists the formulaic notions we have about cause and effect. Blessing and curse. Health and wealth. It forces us to grapple with the hard truth that the righteous do suffer. The unrighteous do prosper. Bad things happen to good people. Good things happen to evil people. There is no rhyme or reason to these things. Time and chance happen to us all as the writer of Ecclesiastes once wrote. The world we live in is broken. Utterly. Completely. It is a world enslaved to the power of Sin. A world ruled by the tyrannical fear of Death. If things happen to go well for us in this world, it is not because we are good or because we earned it. It is far more likely that it is random chance. This is why we cannot set our hearts on the things of this earth but on things above.  

A friend of mine recently watched a show where the Book of Job was featured. The conclusion of the character who was wrestling with the text was that ultimately all Job received in the end was new children and a case of PTSD. That’s actually a common interpretation of the text both in our culture today and in many churches. Like Job’s friends, it’s a far too simplistic approach to the text. It betrays our unwillingness to really sit and take the time to “hear” Job. To marvel at his courageous faith. To wonder at his steadfast, some may call it stubborn, refusal to let go of the goodness and justice and sovereignty of God. Why doesn’t Job ever throw in the towel? Why doesn’t Job do what his wife suggested at the beginning? Why doesn’t Job curse God and die like so many have throughout the centuries and like so many do today? Because Job believes. Job has faith. He knows his Redeemer lives. He knows he will meet God face to face after he dies and he trusts God to be faithful. Though it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the Living God, Job ultimately trusts God for his vindication. 

Readings for tomorrow: Job 22-24

Slow to Talk

Readings for today: Job 14-17

When I was young, someone told me I had two ears and one mouth for a reason. I should listen at least twice as much as I speak. Unfortunately, I have been known to violate that principle over the years. When I first became a pastor, I thought I needed to offer a lot of theological wisdom. Especially when people were hurting or suffering or dealing with end of life issues. I thought I was being helpful by trying to answer their questions. Explain the “why” behind the “what.” I could not have been more wrong. I could not have been more foolish. What they needed was someone to listen. Someone to sit with them in the ashes and weep with them. Someone to simply be present.

Job’s friends started off so well. They came to Job in his pain. They sat with him for days in silence. They brought the comfort through their presence. Eventually Job started to give words to what he was feeling. He was raw. He was angry. He was full of despair. It had to be hard to listen to. I know because I’ve been there. It’s so tempting in those moments to try to offer answers. But Job’s not really looking for answers. Sadly, Job’s friends can’t resist. They feel the need to explain to Job why he finds himself in such a terrible state. They begin to argue with Job which only compounds his pain. Things get so bad, Job lashes out. “I have heard many things like these. You are all miserable comforters. Is there no end to your empty words? What provokes you that you continue testifying?” (Job‬ ‭16‬:‭2‬-‭3‬ ‭CSB‬)

Empty words. I have offered them far too much over the years. I had the best of intentions. I truly wanted to offer comfort and peace. But that’s not mine to offer. Only God can grant comfort to those who are hurting and suffering. Only God can bring peace to those who find themselves struggling so much. Only God can fill the emptiness those who are grieving often feel in their hearts. It’s much better to sit in silence than to speak. To say “I don’t know” rather than speculate on why something happened. The next time you feel tempted to speak into someone else’s pain, remember these words, “Does a wise man answer with empty counsel or fill himself with the hot east wind? Should he argue with useless talk or with words that serve no good purpose?” (Job‬ ‭15‬:‭2‬-‭3‬ ‭CSB‬‬)

Readings for tomorrow: Job 18-21

Darkness

Readings for today: Job 10-13

The darkness in the valley of the shadow is deep. It descends like a thick shroud, clouding the view. It feels impenetrable, leading to depression and despair, hopelessness and helplessness. I have walked through this valley so many times over the years. I have had seasons in my own life where I struggled to find my way back to the light. I have walked with friends and loved ones as they traveled the road. Sometimes it was mental health issues. Sometimes it was terminal disease. Sometimes it was deep grief. Sometimes it was death itself. I remember praying at the bedside of a dear friend a few years ago. He was an alcoholic. He struggled with all kinds of health complications as a result. He was an extremely successful businessman who had sacrificed his family along the way. He lived with a tremendous amount of guilt and shame. As he lay there dying, I could feel the darkness closing in. For a few moments, I felt hopeless and helpless and all alone.

It seems clear to me from today’s reading that Job too has walked this road. He knows every twist and turn in the valley of the shadow of death. Listen to how he describes his experience, “It is a land of blackness like the deepest darkness, gloomy and chaotic, where even the light is like the darkness.” (Job‬ ‭10‬:‭22‬ ‭CSB‬) That sounds about right. It certainly squares with my experience. A land of blackness. A land of deepest darkness. A land that is gloomy and chaotic. A land where even the light cannot escape. It’s like a black hole emotionally, spiritually, and physically. But even here we can turn to God. Even here we can hold onto faith. Listen to Job again, “Be quiet, and I will speak. Let whatever comes happen to me. I will put myself at risk and take my life in my own hands. Even if he kills me, I will hope in him. I will still defend my ways before him. Yes, this will result in my deliverance, for no godless person can appear before him.” (Job‬ ‭13‬:‭13‬-‭16‬ ‭CSB‬‬) Everything has been stripped away from Job. His life has been taken down to the studs. And when Job finds himself sitting in the ruins of his life, who does he find there sitting with him? God. God is all Job has left and even if he loses his life, he will still trust in Him. Still hope in Him.

Thankfully, my friend gave his life to Christ right before he died. In that moment, I felt the darkness lift though death was near. Hope and peace flooded my friend’s soul as he realized he had been forgiven. It was one of the more powerful moments in my life. I will never forget it. It serves as a great reminder when I am walking through my own valley. I need fear no evil or darkness or chaos or despair for God is with me. He is there to comfort and guide me. He is there to prepare a celebration for me even in the face of all my enemies.

Readings for tomorrow: Job 14-17

Grief

Readings for today: Job 6-9

I had breakfast with my mom yesterday morning. We’ve been having breakfast once a month since right before my father died. We talk about a lot of things. We talk about her friends. We talk about her activities. We talk about our extended family. Most of all, we talk about grief. We talk about the challenges of learning to live alone. Things like starting a fire in the fireplace on a cold evening. Taking the dog on a walk. Fixing little stuff around the house. Things my father always did. We talk about the challenges of cleaning out the house. Letting go of things that remind her of dad. Going through boxes and processing all the memories. Giving away clothes and tools and other things that she no longer has a use for. It’s not easy. There is a weight to it all.

I love how Job talks about his grief. “If only my grief could be weighed and my devastation placed with it on the scales. ” (Job‬ ‭6‬:‭2‬ ‭CSB) It’s one of the most powerful descriptions I ever seen. It fits what I know about grief. It’s an emotion I am well-acquainted with because of the work I do. I am a pastor. As such, I am often invited to share the grief of those I serve. It may be grief over the passing of a loved one. Grief over the death of a dream. Grief over the loss of a friendship. Grief over the end of a season. Sometimes the grief feels bittersweet like when someone we love dies after living a long and full life. Sometimes the grief feels overwhelming and hard as in the case of a tragedy. I have sat at so many bedsides over the years, gone to many homes, and spent countless hours listening as people processed what they were feeling. All of it a sacred privilege even though the grief is often heavy. Job’s experienced unimaginable grief. The suddenness of it came upon him like a storm. The enormity of it hit him like a ton of bricks. I think that’s why so many appreciate this book. It is raw. It is real. And it resonates deeply with those who have walked a similar road.

Why? It’s a question I hear often in the midst of grief. Why did this happen? Why did this happen now? Why did this happen to this particular person? Why did this happen in this particular way? I hear echoes of these questions throughout the Book of Job as he tries to process his pain. Though Job never does get an answer, he keeps coming back to faith. He keeps drawing on the well that has sustained his life. It’s a powerful reminder that true faith invites the deepest of questions. True faith is not afraid to express doubt or fear. True faith understands that it is our questions, doubts, and fears that ultimately lead us back to God. Listen again to our brother Job, “God is wise and all-powerful. Who has opposed him and come out unharmed? He removes mountains without their knowledge, overturning them in his anger. He shakes the earth from its place so that its pillars tremble. He commands the sun not to shine and seals off the stars. He alone stretches out the heavens and treads on the waves of the sea. He makes the stars: the Bear, Orion, the Pleiades, and the constellations  of the southern sky. He does great and unsearchable things, wonders without number.” (Job‬ ‭9‬:‭4‬-‭10‬ ‭CSB)‬‬

Readings for tomorrow: Job 10-13

Integrity

Readings for today: Job 1-5

Job was a man of complete integrity. I have long pondered what this might mean. Does it mean Job is perfect? Free from sin? Clearly not. The Bible declares that all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God and this would include a man like Job. Does it mean Job never makes mistakes? Never gets things wrong? Never loses heart? Again, clearly not. The rest of the book show Job at his most honest and raw and real. He grieves. He laments. He argues. He fights back. He questions God. So what does it mean that Job was a man of complete integrity? A man who feared God and turned away from evil? A man who retains his integrity even in the middle of incredible tragedy? A man who accepts both good and adversity from God? A man who understands God gives and takes away?

The Hebrew word that is translated “complete integrity” or “blameless and upright” depending on which version you are reading, literally means to walk a straight path. It means there is no swerving to the left or the right. No crookedness along the way. It is the Bible’s way of picturing a person of honesty. A person who lives transparently before the Lord and before others. A person who has nothing to hide and nothing to be ashamed of and nothing to fear but God. Such a person sets their mind and heart on God. They seek to honor God in all their ways. They seek to obey God in everything they do. They bring God into the equation in all their decision-making. They trust God with the outcomes of life. They do not expect anything from God. They do not demand anything from God. They walk in humility before Him. They believe God is more than enough.

Decades ago, I was in a Bible study on the Book of Job and the teacher challenged us with some hard questions. If you never received anything from God, would He still be worthy of your worship? If you never received a single blessing from God, would He still be worthy of your devotion? Do you love God simply because He’s God or do you love God for the blessings He brings to your life? How would you answer? I know I had to sit with them a while myself. I wasn’t at a stage where I was ready to accept what Job had to teach me. I was still very young in my faith. But as I’ve grown over the years and experienced a whole lot of life along the way, I have learned to embrace the truth of what Job teaches us. God is enough. God is more than enough. He is worthy of my worship and devotion simply because He is God. He does not owe me. I have no right to expect anything from Him. Everything I receive from Him is a gift. It is grace. It is undeserved and unexpected and unearned. It is mine to steward not to own. He gives and takes away according to His perfect will for me. In all things and in every season, I bless the name of the Lord.

Readings for tomorrow: Job 6-9

Humility

Readings for today: Job 40-42, Psalms 146

Worship is intimately tied to humility. In fact, I would argue it is essential. It’s why we struggle to worship. It’s why we struggle to develop a passion for worship. We have little to no understanding of the vastness and splendor and overwhelming majesty of God. We also have little to no understanding of the depths of our sin and brokenness and weakness and insignificance in this universe. We think too highly of ourselves and too little of God. This is why worship can seem so foreign and so boring. This is why we struggle to find any consistent connection with God. The final chapters of Job offer an antidote to our pride. They reframe our understanding of our position in the world. They put us in our place.

I love how Job responds to God. “The Lord answered Job: Will the one who contends with the Almighty correct him? Let him who argues with God give an answer. Then Job answered the Lord: I am so insignificant. How can I answer you? I place my hand over my mouth. I have spoken once, and I will not reply; twice, but now I can add nothing.” (Job‬ ‭40‬:‭1‬-‭5‬ ‭CSB) Job is humble. Job acknowledges his insignificance. Job sees the error of his ways. He knows he has no right to demand anything from God. “Then Job replied to the Lord: I know that you can do anything and no plan of yours can be thwarted. You asked, “Who is this who conceals my counsel with ignorance?” Surely I spoke about things I did not understand, things too wondrous for me to know. You said, “Listen now, and I will speak. When I question you, you will inform me.” I had heard reports about you, but now my eyes have seen you. Therefore, I reject my words and am sorry for them; I am dust and ashes.” (Job‬ ‭42‬:‭1‬-‭6‬ ‭CSB‬‬) Job repents of his ignorance. He repents of his foolishness. He repents of speaking of things to wonderful and infinite for him to know. Job sees God and bows before Him. Job hears God and kneels in the dust and ashes.

I have often thought it would be good to read these final chapters from Job on a daily basis. Just to remind myself of who God is as Creator and who I am as creature. It is healthy to know my limits. It is good to know my place in God’s world. It takes all the pressure off to know how deeply insignificant I am in comparison to God. To know how weak and ignorant I am when it comes to the things of this world. For all my knowledge and understanding. For all my training and education. For all my experience and travels in the world. I know so very little. I am able to do so very little. The impact I make is so very small. And yet - because of God - there is a ripple created that He uses to change so many things. Because of God, even the faith of a mustard seed can move mountains. Because of God, even the meager offering a few loaves and a few fish can feed thousands. Because of God, even the smallest and most insignificant acts carry eternal weight and glory. When I repent of my pride and arrogance. When I empty myself of all my selfishness and greed. When I bow before the Lord and kneel in the dust and ashes of my own life, God is more than able to fill me and restore me and take me to heights I’ve never dreamed of and show me things I could never have conceived of on my own. When I am weak, He is strong. When I am ignorant, He is wise. All He asks for is trust.

Readings for tomorrow: Psalms 1-2, 147

Praise

Readings for today: Job 38-39, Psalms 145

When God reveals Himself to us, there is only one response…worship. Praise. Thanksgiving. Falling on our faces before Him as we realize how infinitely wide the gulf is between us. Today’s reading is a great pairing of some of the most awe-inspiring chapters of the Bible - where God answers Job from the whirlwind - and some of the most beautiful words of praise from the Psalmist. As I read them, I found myself on my knees before God offering up the words of the Psalm as a prayer.

“Then the Lord answered Job from the whirlwind. He said: Who is this who obscures my counsel with ignorant words? Get ready to answer me like a man; when I question you, you will inform me.” (Job‬ ‭38‬:‭1‬-‭3‬ ‭CSB‬‬) How often do I obscure God’s counsel with my ignorant words? How often do I try to remake God after my own image? How often do I lean on my own futile and finite understanding? For all my theological training, I have barely come to scratch the surface of my understanding of God. For all my years of ministry, I have barely begun to see the edges of His ways. For all the time and energy I put into my daily devotional time and weekly worship of God, I have barely dipped my toes into the depths of His love and grace. How can I then respond to Him? What words can I offer that won’t obscure His counsel or expose my ignorance? I can only offer words of praise. The words of the Psalmist. The Spirit-inspired words of David.

“I exalt you, my God the King, and bless your name forever and ever. I will bless you every day; I will praise your name forever and ever. The Lord is great and is highly praised; his greatness is unsearchable. One generation will declare your works to the next and will proclaim your mighty acts. I will speak of your splendor and glorious majesty and your wondrous works. They will proclaim the power of your awe-inspiring acts, and I will declare your greatness. They will give a testimony of your great goodness and will joyfully sing of your righteousness. The Lord is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and great in faithful love. The Lord is good to everyone; his compassion rests on all he has made. All you have made will thank you, Lord; the faithful will bless you. They will speak of the glory of your kingdom and will declare your might, informing all people of your mighty acts and of the glorious splendor of your kingdom. Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom; your rule is for all generations. The Lord is faithful in all his words and gracious in all his actions. The Lord helps all who fall; he raises up all who are oppressed. All eyes look to you, and you give them their food at the proper time. You open your hand and satisfy the desire of every living thing. The Lord is righteous in all his ways and faithful in all his acts. The Lord is near all who call out to him, all who call out to him with integrity. He fulfills the desires of those who fear him; he hears their cry for help and saves them. The Lord guards all those who love him, but he destroys all the wicked. My mouth will declare the Lord’s praise; let every living thing bless his holy name forever and ever.” (Psalms‬ ‭145‬:‭1‬-‭21‬ ‭CSB)

These words are worth meditating on. They are worth reading over and over again. Let them sink into your heart. Let them settle into your soul. Let your mind be shaped by them. Let your actions be inspired by them. Take up the challenge and declare God’s works to the next generation. Speak of His splendor and majesty to everyone you meet. Share His greatness. Offer your testimony. Tell others how good and gracious and loving our God is and how He has compassion on all He has made. Let the hurting know He is near. Let those who have fallen know the Lord is there to help. Let those who seek Him know He will be found. Bless His name day after day after day. This is our call.

Readings for tomorrow: Job 40-42, Psalms 146

The Vastness of God

Readings for today: Job 35-37, Psalms 144

A few years ago, I summited Mt. Sneffels. It’s one of 54 “fourteeners” (peaks rising above 14,000’) in Colorado and is known as the “Queen of the San Juans” because of the amazing views of the surrounding peaks and valleys. Those who know me well know how much I love hiking and climbing. Sneffels was peak number 15 for me and I’ve climbed several others multiple times. None of them are easy. In order to summit a 14er, one has to hit the trail very early. Sometimes before the sun comes up. You typically ascend thousands of feet so your legs take a beating. Sometimes there’s a nice trail, sometimes not. Depending the route, you can be dangerously exposed both to the weather or a potential fall. Many of them are over 10 miles round trip. You race the clock to beat the afternoon storms before they roll in. But the payoff is definitely worth it. Standing on the summit makes you feel like you’re on top of the world.

It’s also makes you feel very small. I think about the words we’ve been reading from Job when I think about my time on Sneffels or any of the 14’ers I’ve been blessed to climb. Words like “Do you know how God directs his clouds or makes their lightning flash? Do you understand how the clouds float, those wonderful works of him who has perfect knowledge? can you help God spread out the skies as hard as a cast metal mirror? Out of the north he comes, shrouded in a golden glow; awesome majesty surrounds him. The Almighty — we cannot reach him — he is exalted in power!” (Job‬ ‭37‬:‭15‬-‭16‬, ‭18‬, ‭22‬-‭23‬ ‭CSB‬‬) I can still see myself in my mind’s eye standing on the summit. It was a picture-perfect day. Not a cloud in the sky. I could see for miles and still my view was so limited. I could not see the foundations of the mountain on which I stood. I could not see to the end of the green valleys that stretched out before me. I could never determine the measurements of peaks that ranged all around. Only God knows these things. He laid the foundations of the earth. He stretched out His line and determined the height of each of the 54 14,000’ peaks as well as the 637 13,000’ peaks and the more than 1,500 12,000’ peaks. God laid the cornerstone for each and every one. He sunk the base of Mt. Sneffels deep into the earth so it would never tremble or fall. Reflecting on His omnipotence as I stood surveying the vastness of His creation took my breath away.

And then God showed me something even greater. As humbled as I was by the creative power of God, I was even more humbled by His righteousness. His holiness. His purity. The chasm that exists between the Triune God in all His splendor and majesty and glory and a weak and ruined sinner like me dwarfs any mountain I could ever climb. No matter how hard I try, I can never ascend to God. No matter how far I walk, I can never draw close to God. No matter how early I rise, there simply isn’t enough time for me to work out my own salvation. Shall someone like me find fault with God? Am I that foolish that I would put God in the wrong so that I might be right? If I am honest, the answer is yes. I am that foolish. In fact, my foolishness knows no bounds. I contend against God daily in thought, word, and deed. I often act as if I know best. I believe down deep that I am the master of my own fate, the captain of my own destiny. And when things go sideways in my life, my first instinct is often to complain to God. To act as I’ve been wronged or put out or somehow unfairly treated. Frankly, I am more than willing to condemn God in order to justify myself.

Thankfully, God isn’t done with me yet and He wasn’t done revealing Himself on top of that mountain. Like the great prophet Isaiah, I know “I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips…” (Isaiah‬ ‭6:5‬ CSB)‬‬ And still God loves me. Tears came to my eyes as I thought about the vastness of God’s love. It is wider than the valleys that lay before me. It is higher than the mountain peaks that surrounded me. It is truly measureless, boundless, infinite in scope. Despite my own limitations, I know there is an end to the earth. Given the right instruments and training, I know I could find the foundations of the mountains. I could stretch out a line across the valleys. I could even weigh the planet on a scale. Not so with God’s love. I cannot fathom it’s reach. I cannot grasp it’s heights or depths, it’s length or it’s breadth. It’s logic escapes me. It’s faithfulness astounds me. There simply is nothing like it in all creation.

Readings for tomorrow: Job 38-39, Psalms 145

Suffering

Readings for today: Job 32-34, Psalms 143

The introduction of Elihu to the narrative represents a turning point in Job. At first glance, Elihu just seems to be piling on. Repeating the same old tired arguments of Job’s friends. But a careful reading of the text reveals a significant shift. Elihu bursts onto the scene declaring his anger at both Job and his three friends. He believes he has something new to offer that has not yet been said. So what is it that Elihu brings to the table? It’s the idea that God allows the righteous to suffer in order to purify and to save. Perhaps the key passage is Job 33:12-30...

“Behold, in this you are not right. I will answer you, for God is greater than man. Why do you contend against him, saying, 'He will answer none of man's words'? For God speaks in one way, and in two, though man does not perceive it. In a dream, in a vision of the night, when deep sleep falls on men, while they slumber on their beds, then he opens the ears of men and terrifies them with warnings...” Remember, they had no Bible. No written records. So the Word of God would come to them in visions and dreams. Why? To punish? To judge? To wound? To destroy? No...”So that God may turn man aside from his deed and conceal pride from a man; he keeps back his soul from the pit, his life from perishing by the sword.” This is deeply significant as it adds a new layer of meaning to the story. God does allow suffering but it’s for our good. He uses suffering to purge the pride from us. The pride Job himself suffers from. Yes, Job is a righteous man. Yes, Job is a blameless man. But Job is also a sinful man. Though he has a heart after God, he is not perfect and God will use his suffering (as we will see at the end of the book) to cleanse the depths of Job’s soul. 

God not only warns us in dreams and visions and through His Word, he also uses our physical pain for our good and for His glory. "Man is also rebuked with pain on his bed and with continual strife in his bones, so that his life loathes bread, and his appetite the choicest food. His flesh is so wasted away that it cannot be seen, and his bones that were not seen stick out. His soul draws near the pit, and his life to those who bring death.” If we follow the logic of Job’s friends - whom Elihu rebukes strongly - we would conclude that those who suffer deserve it. They should go down to death. But that’s not where Elihu lands. His God is not a harsh judge but a faithful, loving Father who delivers His children ultimately from their pain and suffering. “If there be for him an angel, a mediator, one of the thousand, to declare to man what is right for him, and he is merciful to him, and says, 'Deliver him from going down into the pit; I have found a ransom; let his flesh become fresh with youth; let him return to the days of his youthful vigor'; then man prays to God, and he accepts him; he sees his face with a shout of joy, and he restores to man his righteousness. He sings before men and says: 'I sinned and perverted what was right, and it was not repaid to me. He has redeemed my soul from going down into the pit, and my life shall look upon the light.' "Behold, God does all these things, twice, three times, with a man, to bring back his soul from the pit, that he may be lighted with the light of life.” The key phrase being that last sentence. It is God who does all these things for man in order to bring his soul back from the pit, lighted with the light of life. 

This understanding squares with what Christians have said throughout the centuries. Martyrs facing their death without fear. Those who suffer enduring for the sake of something greater.  They understand God is at work even in the middle of their pain. They understand suffering to be part of this broken, ruined, created order. Ultimately, they embrace suffering as part of following Christ who Himself suffered on behalf of all humanity. Viewed from this angle, suffering is hard but good. God using it to bring about His will and His glory while also continuing to sanctify and purify own hearts in the midst of it all. The reality is Job needs to be humbled and indeed will be humbled before the Lord of Hosts. We need to be humbled as well. This is one of the most important lessons from the Book of Job for all of us.

Readings for tomorrow: Job 35-37, Psalms 144

The Search for Wisdom

Readings for today: Job 24-28, Psalms 141

Our world is awash in desire. Enslaved to feelings and emotions. Adrift in an ocean of chaos. How else to explain heartbreaking insanity that passes for truth these days? We reject any kind of sexual boundaries and are shocked when it leads to abuse, objectification, disease, and violence. We reject our bodies and are shocked when it leads to depression, anxiety and suicidal ideation. We selfishly exploit the resources of the earth and are shocked when it leads to pollution and sickness and war. We refuse to repent over past oppressions and are shocked when it leads to ethnic conflict. We refuse to restrain our greed and are shocked when it leads to class warfare on a social and political stage. Our unwillingness and inability to follow the ways of Jesus leads us into all kinds of pain and suffering and heartache which we then turn around and try to pin on God.

Our world is filled with knowledge. We have so much knowledge we literally do not know what to do with it. So much information coming at us from every angle. The average person is inundated with well over a hundred emails every day. Not to mention texts. Phone calls. Social media interactions. A single issue of the New York Times contains more information than a person a hundred or so years ago might have learned in an entire year. The news is relentless. The fake news endless. Technology ubiquitous. We cannot escape. We cannot rest. And what has all this knowledge gained us? Rising rates of depression, anxiety, and suicide. Rising rates of fear, violence, and hate. All this in a world that is demonstrably improving with each passing year. Why? What are we missing? What is the source of our persistent discontent?

Wisdom is the key to fulfillment in life. But, sadly, we simply do not know the path to wisdom or we refuse to take it. Today’s reading from the Book of Job is on point. "Surely there is a mine for silver and a place where gold is refined. Iron is taken from the ground, and copper is smelted from ore. The miner uses a flint tool and turns up ore from the root of the mountains. He cuts out channels in the rocks, and his eyes spot every treasure. He dams up the streams from flowing so that he may bring to light what is hidden. But where can wisdom be found, and where is understanding located? No one can know its value, since it cannot be found in the land of the living.” (Job‬ ‭28‬:‭1‬-‭2‬, ‭9‬-‭13‬ ‭CSB‬‬) Human beings are capable of great things. We climb to the highest mountains. We delve in the depths of the earth. We’ve learned to fly. We’ve explored the bottom of the oceans. We know how to do so very much. But for all our strength and power and knowledge and ability, we have yet to find the path to wisdom. We didn’t find it on the mountaintops. We searched for it in vain in the trenches of the seas. Despite our vast wealth we could not find a vender who sold it.

Only God knows the path to wisdom. Only God knows how to take all of our knowledge and order it in such a way that it leads to blessing and human flourishing. “Where then does wisdom come from, and where is understanding located? It is hidden from the eyes of every living thing and concealed from the birds of the sky. Abaddon and Death say, “We have heard news of it with our ears.” But God understands the way to wisdom, and he knows its location. He said to mankind, “The fear of the Lord—that is wisdom. And to turn from evil is understanding.” (Job‬ ‭28‬:‭20‬-‭23‬, ‭28‬ ‭CSB‬‬) Fear the Lord. Submit to His ways. Surrender to His will. Let Him guide and direct your steps. This is the path to wisdom. God’s promise to those who follow Him is that He will lead us into green pastures and beside still waters. To places of peace where our souls will be restored. Job understands we cannot find these places on our own. We cannot get to these places in our own strength. Our knowledge is simply not enough. We must let God take us by the hand. We must trust God with our lives and our future. We must have faith that He knows best.

Readings for tomorrow: Job 29-31, Psalms 142 (No devotionals on Sundays)

The Blessing of Brokenness

Readings for today: Job 20-23, Psalms 140

There is a famous play by Thornton Wilder called, “The Angel that Troubled the Waters.” In the play, he describes the scene at the pool of Bethesda where a multitude of hurting people gather to wait for that miraculous moment when the angel of God descends, stirs up the waters of the pool, and they become a source of healing. Anxious, crippled, broken people gather there day after day, hoping against hope that they will be the ones to receive the gift of healing. Among them is one particular man who never quite seems to make it. Others are always jumping the line in front of him to get to the pool first. On this particular day, he cries out in desperation to the angel to help him into the water so he can find healing but the angel instead whispers to him, “Stand back, this healing is not for you. Without your wound where would your power be? It is your very remorse that makes your low voice tremble into the hearts of men. Not the angels themselves can persuade the wretched blundering children of earth as can one human being broken on the wheels of living. In love’s service, only wounded soldiers can serve.”

Why do the words of Job’s friends offer such small comfort? Because they do not come from the mouths of those wounded in love’s service. They do not come from men broken on the wheel of living. Yes, what they say often - though not always - reflects God’s truth but the words are not offered in empathy or compassion. They are arguing with Job not comforting him. Thankfully, God never makes this mistake. In our deepest, darkest moments. When the future seems so bleak and the pain feels overwhelming. There God meets us. He wraps his arms around us. He doesn’t offer answers so much as He offers us Himself. He knows what it is to suffer so He can help those who are suffering. He knows what it is to feel alone and abandoned so He can help those who struggle with the same. In a very real sense, He Himself has been “broken on the wheels of living.” He is the wounded soldier who serves the cause of love.

We all experience pain and suffering in this life. Some more than others. Some less than others. But all of us know its sting. We all experience grief and loss in this life. Some more than others. Some less than others. But all of us know what it’s like to lose someone we love. We all experience heartbreak and tragedy in this life. Some more than others. Some less than others. But all of us know what it feels like to have someone or something dear stolen from us. And by faith, these experiences become gifts. Strange gifts to be sure but gifts nonetheless. Gifts we can share with others who may be going through the same thing. Friends, this is the beauty of the gospel. It is the story of a God who embraced suffering in order to bring comfort. Embraced pain in order to bring relief. Embraced death in order to bring life. And through Christ, all your pain and suffering and grief and heartbreak is redeemed. It becomes part of the beauty God is bringing out of the ashes of your life. It becomes a gift you get to share with those you love.

Readings for tomorrow: Job 24-28, Psalms 141

Small Comfort

Readings for today: Job 16-19, Psalms 139

I try to imagine how I would respond if I had a friend like Job. Someone who loses it all. Would I be faithful? Would I stand by his or her side? Would I offer to help? Would I be willing to sit with them in their grief and pain? Would I be willing to listen as they lashed out? I think back over the years of my life. I have known many who have gone through very hard times. They lose their families. They lose their children. They lose their jobs. They lose their homes. I’ve seen friends end up on the streets. I’ve seen those I love and serve as a pastor walk away from their faith. Thankfully not often. At least not in these extreme cases. How did I respond? I like to think I offered better comfort than Job’s friends but I know I’ve made my mistakes along the way. Especially when I was younger and less experienced. I can think of times when I said the exact wrong thing at the bedside of someone who was suffering. I can think of times when I said something insensitive at a funeral. I can think of times where I responded selfishly rather than selflessly to those who were hurting and in need.

Job’s words pierced my heart this morning and the memories of my mistakes came flooding back in. “How long will you torment me and crush me with words? You have humiliated me ten times now, and you mistreat me without shame.” (Job‬ ‭19‬:‭2‬-‭3‬ ‭CSB‬‬) The faces of those I unwittingly “tormented and crushed” with my words flash through my mind. One after the other. How many times did I pile on instead of relieve their burdens? How many times did I try to give them an answer for their suffering rather than simply sit with them in it? How many times did I avoid them altogether because of my own discomfort with pain? “Have mercy on me, my friends, have mercy, for God’s hand has struck me. Why do you persecute me as God does? Will you never get enough of my flesh?” (Job‬ ‭19‬:‭21‬-‭22‬ ‭CSB) How many times did I fail to have mercy? How many times did I fail to have compassion? How many times did I fail to love?

Thankfully, there is forgiveness. Many of those I’ve so carelessly mistreated over the years showed me immeasurable grace. Thankfully, there is growth as well. I am no longer the foolish man I once was. I am no longer naive and ignorant. I am no longer as prideful and arrogant. I am comfortable with discomfort. I am able to manage my anxiety even as I sit with those who are hurting and afraid. I have become quicker to listen and slower to speak over the years. I am not there to be sure. I still make my mistakes and say careless and foolish things from time to time. But God is faithful. He has used me more and more to bring His comfort and peace. He has grown me in my ability to be compassionate and caring and patient in times of great distress. Ultimately, my ability to bring comfort rests on the same confidence that Job exhibits in one of the more famous lines from the book. “But I know that my Redeemer lives, and at the end he will stand on the dust. Even after my skin has been destroyed, yet I will see God in my flesh. I will see him myself; my eyes will look at him, and not as a stranger. My heart longs within me.” (Job‬ ‭19‬:‭25‬-‭27‬ ‭CSB‬‬) God alone can provide the comfort we all so desperately need. Pointing people beyond ourselves, beyond this world, beyond any answers we think we can provide is what brings them hope in hopeless situations and help when they are hurting.

Readings for tomorrow: Job 20-23, Psalms 140

I Surrender All

Readings for today: Job 12-15, Psalms 138

“The life of every living thing is in his hand, as well as the breath of all humanity.” (Job‬ ‭12‬:‭10‬ ‭CSB) This is perhaps the hardest lesson for us humans to learn. Truly it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the Living God. Everything stripped away. All your resources tapped out. Your strength having failed. Your wisdom having led you to a dead end. Every choice you made gone wrong. Life taken down to the studs. I’ve been there. I know the journey well. I wouldn’t wish it on my worst enemy and yet I wouldn’t change it for the world. For it was there, at the end of myself, that I discovered my life is truly in God’s hands. He gives me my every breath. He fills me with every good and perfect gift. Nothing I have is mine. Nothing I’ve done is to my credit. Nothing I’ve achieved is my accomplishment. It is God who gives me strength to wake up each morning. It is God who gives me peace to lay down and rest each night. It is God who gives me the wisdom to make righteous choices. It is God who provides every opportunity. It is God who blesses me with every resource. It is God who fills me with His Spirit. I am on His time. My life is like grass. Here today and gone tomorrow. I have but a few turns around the sun and then I will fade from memory. Within a generation or two, I will simply be another name on a headstone in a small town cemetery in Western Nebraska. Nothing more.

I know that sounds depressing but honestly, I can think of nothing more freeing. My life is not my own. I live and I move and I have my being in God. I serve and I give and I obey my Lord and Savior. My life is His to command as He sees fit. If He were to lift me up, I will serve. If He lays me low, I will serve. If He gives me success, I will give Him all the glory. If He makes me fail, I will praise Him even more. And these are not empty platitudes for me. I have been to the mountaintop and seen the glory of God firsthand and I’ve been in the deepest, darkest valley and praised God from those depths. Like Job, I have experienced God take just about everything away. I even almost lost my family. But the one thing I never lost was God. He was always there. And what did I learn from that experience? That dark night of the soul? I learned what Job learned. “Be quiet, and I will speak. Let whatever comes happen to me. I will put myself at risk and take my life in my own hands. Even if he kills me, I will hope in him. I will still defend my ways before him. Yes, this will result in my deliverance, for no godless person can appear before him.” (Job‬ ‭13‬:‭13‬-‭16‬ ‭CSB‬‬)

God is the only constant in this life. He is the one fixed point in the universe. There is no shadow or turning with Him. There is no change in His nature or character. He alone is Faithful and True. His promises are sure because He is sure. His commitment is unwavering because He is unwavering. His love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things because His love never fails. It casts out all fear. It answers every question. It erases every doubt. God’s love is the reason we can come to Him with anything. We can curse Him in anger or cry out to Him in grief or call on Him for comfort and we can count on Him to be there. He can handle every emotion we throw at Him and then some. His love is more than enough to absorb it all because His love paid for it all.

Readings for tomorrow: Job 16-19, Psalms 139

Abandonment

Readings for today: Job 8-11, Psalms 137

“If he passed by me, I wouldn’t see him; if he went by, I wouldn’t recognize him.” (Job‬ ‭9‬:‭11‬ ‭CSB‬‬)

There is nothing worse than feeling abandoned. Especially if we feel abandoned by God. I know so many who have experienced this dark night of the soul or who are going through it even now. It is a lonely journey. One fraught with danger. Many lose their way. Many lose their faith. I have listened to their stories. Stories of abuse and trauma. Stories of struggle and heartache. Stories of existential longing and loss. It is probably the most heartbreaking part of the work I do. I often find myself in tears alongside them. I find myself praying desperately for them. I find myself wishing I could give them what their hearts long for. But I cannot. For I am not God.

Job is crying out to God. Crying out in the midst of his pain and suffering for God to answer. For God to deliver. For God to save. He is crying out for God’s presence. He longs to hear His voice. He wants to know God is with him but all he feels is God’s absence. Where is God when it hurts? Where is God when we struggle? Where is God when we suffer pain and loss? These are some of the deepest, most profound questions of our existence. They seem hardwired into our souls. Even those who do not think much about God find themselves asking these questions when tragedy strikes.

Job is not the only one who’s experienced God’s absence. The Psalms are filled with the cries of King David among others. Many saints down throughout the centuries testify to similar feelings. Ever felt this way? Ever prayed like Job? All of us have on some level. Every Christian I know has experienced the absence of God at some point in their lives. They have felt abandoned by God. Left on their own. It’s deeply unsettling. Challenging on an ontological level. It forces us to come face to face with our deepest fears. And lest you think it’s tied to sin, consider God’s servant Job who was blameless and righteous in his generation. Consider God’s servant David who was a man after God’s own heart. Consider God’s servant Mother Theresa who experienced a profound absence of God over the last several decades of her own life.

Consider Jesus Christ Himself who cried out from the cross, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” If we are going to faithfully follow Jesus, we should expect to go through this dark night of the soul. We should expect to travel through the valley of the shadow of death. We should expect God to wean us from trusting in our own “feelings” or “experiences” so we can learn to trust in Him alone. On the cross, Jesus felt the pain of His Father’s absence far more than the pain of the nails in his hands and feet. Over the course of her life, Mother Theresa felt the pain of God’s absence more than the pain of those she served in Calcutta. David. Job. All of them suffered terribly from existential loneliness. But God didn’t leave them there. God remained faithful. As they walked the dark and narrow and terrifying way, He was always at their side. Though they could not sense Him, He was beside them. Though they could not feel Him, He was there. Just as He redeemed His own Son’s life from the grave, so He redeemed Job’s life and David’s life and Mother Theresa’s life. And His promise is that one day He will redeem our lives as well. Trust Him. Trust Him more than your feelings. Trust Him more than your desires. Trust Him more than your experiences. Trust the One whose name is Faithful and True!

Readings for tomorrow: Job 12-15, Psalms 138