Spend time in prayer and silence with God asking Him to meet with you and speak to you.
Bible Reading
“Will the one who contends with the Almighty correct him? Let him who accuses God answer him!”
– Job 40:2
“Would you discredit my justice?
Would you condemn me to justify yourself?
Do you have an arm like God’s,
and can your voice thunder like his?
Then adorn yourself with glory and splendor,
and clothe yourself in honor and majesty.
Unleash the fury of your wrath,
look at all who are proud and bring them low,
look at all who are proud and humble them,
crush the wicked where they stand.
Bury them all in the dust together;
shroud their faces in the grave.
Then I myself will admit to you
that your own right hand can save you.
– Job 40:8-14
Devotion
For much of the book of Job, he is suffering and continuing to ask God “Why are you doing this to me? Why are you allowing this to happen? What did I do to deserve this?” God does not answer Job directly. Instead, He reverses the questions and asks Job “Do you not have enough faith to know that I am God and have reasons that you cannot possibly understand”? If Job cannot understand how the inanimate objects of the natural world were made or how they are controlled by God, then what chance does Job have of understanding God’s treatment of mankind? God does reveal Himself to us in many ways, but we can never know everything there is to know about God. He has implanted only a small fraction of his wisdom in us. This is where faith begins. God calls us to have faith in Him, even when we cannot understand.
The Big Question
While we may not suffer to the extent of Job, we all still suffer. It is difficult when we do not understand why we go through trials. However, we can know that God is in control. Has there been a time when you went through a difficult trial and did not know why? What difference does faith have in how you handle suffering? How can faith give you peace and comfort during times of pain and hardship?
Conclude your time in prayer and silence reflecting on what you have learned.