Have you ever been angry with God or held a quiet resentment against Him? The truth is, life slaps hard. In response, some of us have lashed out furiously at the Almighty, shaking angry fists to heaven. Some of us have ignored Him coldly in an effort to demonstrate our displeasure. These human reactions often stem from a sense of injustice. We feel that an all-powerful, all-knowing God should have done this or never have allowed that.

Our temptation is to question the ways of a God whose ways are so much higher than our ways. Our minds can’t always figure out the purpose in seemingly senseless tragedies and our hearts rebel against the irrationality of it all. We demand answers and grieve at the silence. The temptation is real – a dirty snare of Satan intended to stumble us in our darkest, most vulnerable hour.

Those of us, who have questioned the veiled purposes of God, can especially relate to Job’s plight. Oh, how he must’ve been tempted in the violent upheaval of his life. He was a righteous man, “one that feared God and eschewed evil” (Job 1:1), even according to God’s admission. Yet, in one fatal swoop, calamity touched every dear thing in his life. What was Job’s immediate response to the injustice of this sudden and overwhelming devastation? Worship. When life slapped him squarely in the face and while his cheeks were still pink with the sting of it, he ‘fell down upon the ground and worshipped’ saying, ‘the Lord gave, and Lord hath taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.’ (Job 1:20-21, KJV)

Now, you may have the misconception that Job’s righteous reaction was easy for him. You may think that he was so very holy that it was just a natural response. No, Job struggled. In fact, only two chapters later (Job 3:1-26), he curses the day he was born. He was a man who felt the full pain of his situation. He was not shielded from the heartache behind some wall of impenetrable, unfeeling holiness. He suffered a deep depression and sense of loss: “Oh that my grief were throughly weighed, and my calamity laid in the balances together! For now it would be heavier than the sand of the sea: therefore my words are swallowed up.” (Job 6:2-3, KJV) He asked, “Is my strength the strength of stones? Or is my flesh of brass?” The answer is a rhetorical ‘no’. He was not some un-relatable angelic saint with white robe and shining halo. He was entirely human. However, in all of his grief, he clung to his integrity and refused to deny God. By faith, he held on to his Mysterious Beloved and revered Him whom he did not fully understand. In this way, Job stands out among the sons of men.

Lifting himself above the overwhelm of his emotion, he caused his lips to say, “Teach me, and I will hold my tongue: and cause me to understand wherein I have erred.” Underneath the weight of his calamity, Job upheld a humble heart and a faithful spirit. So, it is eternally recorded of him: “In all this Job sinned not, nor charged God foolishly.” (1:22, KJV)

Let us remember, with still reverence, who it is that we dare contend with – the Highest Judge; the Lord God Almighty whose strength is from everlasting to everlasting. He alone is able to rule the universe and He does so with a scepter of love and justice. We will not understand his every judgment in the limitation of our earthly hearts and minds, but by faith, we can choose to ever trust Him. We can choose to say with Job, “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.” (Job 23:10-11, NIV)

Life is a fleeting vapor. We don’t have long to endure. Let’s walk in integrity all the days of our life. In our brief earth stint, we will have an opportunity to offer God praise in our pain. May we bless His name then and always.

“He [God] is wise in heart and mighty in strength: who hath hardened himself against Him, and hath prospered?” (Job 9:4, KJV).

Liz Miller lives in Daphne with her husband Matt and son, Logan. She looks forward to responding to your thoughts, prayer requests and guest speaker invitations, please write to millerfam3@hotmail.com.