Phone Calls, Job & Faith

A phone call.

Some calls can be so fun. Some can be challenging. Some can make us cry. Some can make us question.

I had a call the other day that did just that – it made me question.

“Lord, what was that? What was that all about?”

I have been wrestling with that question for a few days now.

During dinner with a friend last night, we pondered about the problems that life poses. Not the specifics or rehashing of problems but the purpose of them & how do we ever know that we have done the right thing in the midst of problems. We pondered about how this thing, life, turns out in the end. Now trust me when I say we never came to any real satisfactory answer other than – we must trust Him.

The conversation last night brought me to thinking about Job. I cringe just in thinking about him. Truly can there be any other human that suffered as much as he? The beautiful thing about Job is that he hung faithfully onto His God. He did not let his suffering come between he & God.

In the very last chapter of Job are a few verses that my earlier mentioned phone call brought to mind. Perhaps during those times of suffering, when we are asking, “What was that?”, these are the things we need to remember:

Â “I know that you can do all things; no plan of yours can be thwarted.” (Job 42:2). There is not a thing we go through in life – no problem, no rejection, no shame, no failure, no divorce, no bankruptcy, no addiction, no disability, no rejection – NOTHING is big enough to thwart His plan. NOTHING.Â
“Surely I spoke of things I did not understand, things too wonderful for me to know.” (Job 42:3 NIV). There are times we would be wise to keep our mouths closed. Sometimes we give our opinions and we have not a clue what we are talking saying. God’s ways are often hidden from us. We cannot always explain Him.
“My ears had heard of you but now my eyes have seen you.” (Job 42:5 NIV). We may have heard so much about God. The thing is – He wants us to KNOW Him for ourselves. By experience. Deeply. Intimately. We learn something about Him during hard times that cannot be learned any other way.

In the midst of his deep suffering, Job has this to say:

“But he knows the way that I take; when he has tested me, I will come forth as gold. My feet have closely followed his steps; I have kept to his way without turning aside. I have not departed from the commands of his lips; I have treasured the words of his mouth more than my daily bread.” (Job 23:10-12Â NIV).