Job 38:3

“Now gird up your loins like a man, And I will ask you, and you instruct Me!

Job’s story is a sad one. He woke up one day, and during that day he lost his money, his livestock, and his sons. The grief that he was going through must have been incredible. It really comes as no surprise that he sits and says absolutely nothing for seven days. His system must have been in a state of shock. It must have been incredibly difficult for him to even believe that it was true. And you know he must have been asking himself why did it happen to him.

When Job’s friends start suggesting that it was sin that caused such a drastic turn of events, Job starts protesting his righteousness. Yet he knows why they make such accusations. He is confused himself. Why is God allowing this to happen to him? Has he not done all the things which God desires? Was he not a godly man? If so, it made no sense to Him that God would allow this to happen. And then it happens: God actually answers job. And when he speaks, you know Job must have been terrified. Coming into contact with the Creator of the universe and having Him challenge you to explain how things should be is almost behind comprehension. You could imagine Job’s knees knocking against each other.

There are times in our lives where we have no clue why God has done what He has. We question whether God letting us suffering was the right thing for Him to do. We might even go so far as to question His commandments, thinking they are unreasonable. The fact of the matter is, God’s reasoning and view is often times so far above our own that we really have no idea why He does anything He does. We then have two options: we can trust that He knows best, or we can trust that we know best. Who has the courage to instruct God? Especially if such an encounter (and there will be one some day) were to occur face to face.

“Now gird up your loins like a man, And I will ask you, and you instruct Me!