“I know that you can do all things, and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted. Who is this that hides counsel without knowledge. Therefore I have uttered what I did not understand, things too wonderful for me, which I did not know.” Job 42:2-3
November 3, 2023
The story of Job ends with his having been crushed beneath the weight of God’s greatness. The prelude to this was the evil and pain Job had suffered. His submission was marked by submitting to the absolute sovereignty of God. This is exactly what we must do in the midst of the perplexity of pain, suffering, and disappointment. God can do whatever He wants to do. Then we must submit to the superior wisdom of God. Accept the fact that there are many things we may not understand as God works out His purpose in our lives. There is no conflict between trusting God and accepting our responsibility. Our submission to God’s sovereignty will need to be infused with repentance (Job 42:6). We must turn from our arrogance in impugning God’s justice. We should have known God better. Simply because God permits evil to afflict our world does not relieve us of our responsibility to hate sin. At the end of life it will have been no small thing to have seen God not as our enemy but our friend.
H
“O Father, You are sovereign, The Lord of human pain, Transmuting earthly sorrows to gold of heavenly gain, All evil overruling, As none but Conqueror could, Your love pursues its purpose – Our soul’s eternal good.”
Margaret Clarkson