Read: Job 3:20-26
Why is light given to a man whose way is hidden, whom God has hedged in? (v. 23)
I am sitting in our local library as I write this devotional. Not only have I always loved the library, but this space became a place of refuge for me a few years back. I had experienced an unexpected change in my work life, and was wrestling hard with the question of why. The quiet inspiration of the library was a blessing during a time of personal hurt and healing.
Our reading for today finds Job in the direst of circumstances: in just one day his children died, his flocks were wiped out, and his servants savagely murdered. When Job himself endures boils from top to bottom, even his wife tells him to “curse God and die” (Job 2:9)! And yet, Job doesn’t curse God, but he does ask why he was even born. He doesn’t shake his fist and give God a piece of his mind, but he questions the pain.
We serve a God who is big enough that he can shoulder the why questions of life. We can’t, in our finite minds, understand or possibly even bear the answers to those questions in the midst of suffering, but God is still listening. If you are enduring a hard thing today, don’t be afraid to take your questions, and your hurt, to God. In his perfect timing he will help you see his greater plan, and while you wrestle with why, he will continue to draw you near. —Joy Petroelje
As you pray, ask for obedience like Job’s, even in the hardest of times.
About the Author
Joy Petroelje is the director of a nonprofit human services organization. She and her husband Steve have three sons and live near Grand Rapids, Michigan. In addition to family time and her work in nonprofit administration, Joy enjoys reading, writing, and running.
