Without…
Without knowing answers to all of his deepest questions, Job bowed his knee in humility to the Lord. Without understanding how everything works together, he repented. It’s no coincidence this happened. While so many of us only want to bow the knee when we get what we want, Job retracted his questions and accepted that God is sovereign over all things.
Then Job answered the LORD. 2 I know, LORD, that you are all-powerful; that you can do everything you want. 3 You ask how I dare question your wisdom when I am so very ignorant. I talked about things I did not understand, about marvels too great for me to know. 4 You told me to listen while you spoke and to try to answer your questions. 5 In the past I knew only what others had told me, but now I have seen you with my own eyes. 6 So I am ashamed of all I have said and repent in dust and ashes.
Job 42:1-6 GNB
This is a weighty profession. Not only was Job still diseased but his misery was intense. He had not healed from all he had lost, yet, he trusts God anyway. Without knowing. Without understanding. Without even a guarantee that God would restore him. Nothing changed except the fact that Job came to know God in a new and personal way. He feared the Lord, and the Bible tells us that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. Just consider, without that healthy fear, Job thought he had God figured out. With that fear, He realized he knew nothing.
Again… without.
What does this mean for us? Have we become so comfortable with God that we feel we can slap Him around when we feel wronged? Have we ever considered, like Job, that we will never fully grasp the ways of God and the mystery of His will?
If we are not repenting for belligerently questioning God, what does that say of our relationship with Him? It’s good to be honest with God, but it’s also good to realize when we have crossed a boundary.
Job’s perspective of God was bigger than his perspective of his problems even while he was still suffering. It’s an amazing feat to consider. On top of that, Satan’s plan was thwarted. He was proven, once again, to be a liar and deceiver – powerless to stop the plans of God for those who possess true saving faith.
We must ask ourselves, who was right in the end? Other than God… none of the above. Job’s friends were rebuked, Satan was proven a liar, and even Job himself (a truly upright and conscientious man) was wrong in his questioning.
The overall lesson is simple and consistent throughout Scripture. People who truly repent are forgiven and restored with riches far greater than they ever sacrificed to begin with. This is true of The Gospel. We know that Jesus asks for our life (and sometimes we hesitate to give Him everything) but Job is a great example of where true sacrifice leads to abundant riches. And I’m not talking about anything on this Earth, but the glory that awaits us in Heaven.
The other lesson to consider here is the fact that Job trusted God in his suffering without a full understanding. That’s called faith and it should be the mark of every person who calls themself a believer. Unfortunately, that’s not the case. The question we must ponder is where are we trusting God in the “without?”