JOB 42:2-3
2 “I know that you can do all things;
no purpose of yours can be thwarted.
3 You asked, ‘Who is this that obscures my plans without knowledge?’
Surely I spoke of things I did not understand,
things too wonderful for me to know.
4 “You said, ‘Listen now, and I will speak;
I will question you,
and you shall answer me.’
5 My ears had heard of you
but now my eyes have seen you.
6 Therefore I despise myself
and repent in dust and ashes.”
How much do you feel that you’re in control of your life? If we’re honest all of us try to control things to some level; we behave in certain ways, live our lives in particular ways which we hope will cause things to turn out more or less how we would like them too.
The scary thing about the book of Job is that it teaches that we’re not in control. At all. Job acted in all the right ways to make life go well but it didn’t. But Job points us to something that should be really comforting – something not fully revealed until Jesus came.
The book of Job ends with Job realising he’s had too small a picture of God. Job had his system worked out for how the world and God should operate, and he’s confused and upset, even angry, when God doesn’t act like he thinks he should. But when God reveals himself in the storm Job realises that his power and wisdom is far beyond Job’s own. He realises God has a plan for the world that he knows nothing about, a plan far beyond his own plan for how the world should work. He learns that true wisdom is humility before God. Job is left in the dark about this plan. He must trust God.
We don’t know why our lives turn out the way they do. Like Job we must learn to trust God’s goodness. But we haven’t been left in the dark about God’s plan. In Romans 11:33 Paul echoes Job’s sentiments when he says ‘Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out!’ But unlike Job, Paul is dumbfounded because he knows God’s master plan. Jesus has revealed it. A plan of salvation, a plan to save his people and the world to the praise of his glory, through Jesus’ death for us on the cross.
Job didn’t know why those things had happened to him, but he knew he could trust God when he saw him in the storm. We don’t know why things happen to us, and we haven’t seen God. But we have the full revelation of God and his loving plan for us in Jesus’ suffering for us. A loving plan that reveals that ‘in all things God works for the good of those who love him’ (Romans 8:28).
Head: What have you learnt about Jesus from this passage? What have you learnt about yourself?
Heart: How do you feel trusting God to be in control instead of yourself? Does knowing God’s plan in Jesus impact how you feel?
Hands: In your growth group, discuss how you can encourage each other to trust God and remember his good plan when life seems out of control.
Prayer: Dear Father, thankyou that you’re in control of everything and that you’re good. I thankyou that you’ve revealed to us your loving plan and shown that you can be trusted. Please forgive me for the times I’ve sought to maintain control of my life. Please enable me to trust in you when life seems out of control, to remember that you work all things for the good of those who love you. In Jesus Name, Amen
A song to listen to: Rejoice
Ryan Dehnert
