Day 15 – Job and God

If you normally use the ESV translation for your readings, you may find the NIV version a better option today to get a clearer picture of God’s words.

• We have two wonderful chapters to finish off the book of Job today, with God bursting onto the scene to display His glory to Job and his chattering friends. What are your first thoughts after reading today’s passages, especially if you have never read them before?
• In chapter 38, God speaks “out of the whirlwind”. What is God’s overall message in these words? What are the questions He’s posing to the Job and his companions on earth, and what is the main overarching question? What is the difference between God and the humans He created?
• Every verse shows something of God’s perfect character – His power, His glory, His eternal nature, and so on. Pick out some of the verses which you find the most exciting or encouraging to read, and write them in your journal. I love verse 12 and 35, amongst many others.
• If you’re like me, you’ll not want to stop reading at the end of chapter 38! If you want to, feel free to read on and enjoy more of God’s speech to Job. As you do, allow yourself to wallow in the greatness of God, and marvel at Him.
• Job (rightly) defended himself against his friend’s accusations, but faced with God, what does Job concede in chapter 42? What is his attitude to God’s “rebuke”? What happened to his friends?
• Think about how God’s compassion and mercy is shown as chapter 42 draws to a close. What blessings does Job receive?
• Does Job ever understand why he went through his trials? Is this ever explained? Is that important, and can it help you to consider this in your own life?
• Has this book helped you to think about your response to God when you go through tough times? Do you think it would make tough times easier for you? What can you put in place in your life to help you to remember these words when you’re struggling?

You might have noticed I love these chapters in Job! As I read them, I see God repeatedly reminding Job of His majesty and knowledge. Again and again, for four chapters, God hammers home to Job that He has complete control over all creation. Remember the video, Indescribable, I posted in the first week? I think of that when I read God’s words about the glory of His creation. What do you think about?

Job has a “happy ever after” feel to it, doesn’t it? You might find that a little hard to swallow. You might concede that you would never want to go through what Job did, but in the end Job received almost countless blessings for the rest of his days. And yet, when we have really tough times, we don’t always see the problem so perfectly fixed. Marriages stay broken, friends continue to betray you, and the sadness of loosing a family member never really fully goes. You may wonder how we can relate to, or take comfort from, a book which seems to have an unrealistic ending.

But think again, because it’s not unrealistic at all. Those who are in Christ – those of us who know and love Him as our Lord and Saviour – are promised blessings beyond our understanding, aren’t we? At the end of this life, we can have the confidence and the sure hope that our days aren’t over – they are only just beginning. We will be made new, never again to feel the crushing pain of death or crying or mourning or sadness. Sin will be no more, and we will be with our Heavenly Father, in an eternal relationship filled with love and joy.

The ending of Job reminds us that, in any and every difficulty we face in this life, we should never ever take our eyes of God. He will see us through, and far beyond.