I just finished reading the book of Job. It's a difficult book to read because much of it is a discussion about the nature, character and fairness of God. It's difficult because it leaves us with a lot of unanswered questions. As chapter 38 opens we find God finally responding to Job with this basic question as his response to Job's many questions- "So, what do you think of what I have created? It's really amazing, isn't it?" He never really answered Job's questions, but instead simply said, "I'm God, will you trust me even if you don't understand, even if I don't tell you why?"
That's our question as well. When the reality of life does not seem to line up as we think it should we raise our voices to God in protest and prayer. Sometimes he answers, but sometimes he doesn't. Will we trust him even then? That question is the one that troubles us about this book- God's request for our trust in the lack of knowledge. That's hard for us, but the truth is that if he told us "why" we wouldn't understand either. God's ways are so much higher and better than ours that if he told us what he was doing we wouldn't understand....our brains couldn't grasp it, so instead he asks, "will you trust me even if I don't tell you?" And that was his question to Job, and it's his question to us...will we trust him even when we don't understand? To be honest I still have to stop and deal with this in my own life. Today is a "why" day for me....I'll share the details another time....but when I find myself in the middle of a day like this he gently brings me back to him with this simple question, "will you trust me anyway?"
3 comments:
You've accurately captured my frustrations not only with the book of Job but my own Job-like experiences throughout life. Like one of my twin toddlers I constantly ask why...get an answer, only to ask why to the answer! Thanks for reminding me that trust in God is more important than explanations.
After 9/11, I read Job to "regroup" and to remind me to trust without knowing the "why" behind all things. Thanks for the reminder. And, my prayers are with you without knowing the facts. God does and that is more than enough for me.
Desire leads to attachment, and attachment leads to loss, and loss leads to suffering. Break the cycle by letting go of desire, let go of expectation, be ok with living in a state of surrender to God and his mystery.
Post a Comment