We demand an answer from God for our suffering. But the best God gives is not the answer but His presence.

The resolution to Job’s ordeal is very interesting. It dawned on me for the first time what God was really doing with Job. Job, for 37 chapters, basically had been asking God why these evil things have been happening to him. He demands an answer from God. And God finally appears before Job and deals with his question. But God does NOT answer Job’s question as to why these things had been happening to him. Rather, God displays all things Job has never considered regarding Himself to Job. And this shuts up Job! Job does not demand the answer anymore. He is completely humbled and repents.

What happened? God never answered Job’s question of evil. Wouldn’t you like to have heard it? But God never even attempts to answer it. And yet Job is completely satisfied with what God did at the end. What is going on? This is what I realized God was doing: Rather than explaining to Job as to the cause of his suffering, which would’ve done nothing to relieve his agony, God overwhelmed Job with His presence and power that his problem is no longer a problem. By showing Job how great and awesome God truly is, God made Job see his problem for what it really is – its puniness compared to this almighty God!

It’s like a man who complains his wallet is missing. While looking for his wallet, a tornado hits his area, completely leveling the entire neighborhood. And yet he escapes with his life and is grateful for his wife and children surviving it. I can guarantee you that he is no longer worried about the lost wallet!

Oh, how what you and I need more of is God’s presence! Only if we were to see God for who He is more clearly, would our sins, complaints, sighs, idolatries, boredom go away!

One of the main purposes of corporate worship is to invoke this presence of God – to enter into the presence of this almighty God. Make every effort to gather with other believers this Sunday.

PH