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Consider Job’s humility in this chapter. Consider that he takes up none of the words with God that he had planned. The entire book culminates to this point; Job is given permission to speak his case to the God of the universe… and… he doesn’t. In fact, he admits he’s said too much. In the presence of God, his wrestling and questioning turned to fear and trembling. Like Jacob, he wrestled with God and was blessed.
Blessed? How was Job blessed? At this moment, Job’s mindset completely changed. He saw more of God than ever before. He knew God more intimately than ever before. He was transformed by the renewing of his mind. Job’s trust grew in this moment before the Lord. He was willing to say, “Your kingdom come, Your will be done.” However, this can only take place through the presence of God. Anyone left to themselves will rely on their own human wisdom to make sense of their situations.Job’s suffering has produced something in him that never would have happened had he not suffered. We need to let that truth sink in.
What does this mean for us today? Well, many of us immediately blame God for our circumstances and trials. We question and wonder. We think, “I wouldn’t do it that way.” Yes, some of this is just part of the process. We are human. However, if we stay in this place, we have subscribed to Satan’s theology, and we must be careful to take these thoughts captive. The enemy thought he knew more than God and could do better than God. Look at how that worked out for him.
Again, I’m not saying we won’t wrestle. Job did and God has graciously corrected him, but it takes humility and repentance to see things clearly. I am reminded of a beautiful passage from Paul in Romans 8.
Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 36 Just as it is written, “FOR YOUR SAKE WE ARE BEING PUT TO DEATH ALL DAY LONG; WE WERE CONSIDERED AS SHEEP TO BE SLAUGHTERED.” 37 But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us. 38 For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 8:35-39 NASB
Nothing separates us from the love of God, for we become conquerors through this love. Let that be the hope in your present circumstance.