Job 38: 1-11 (NRSV)
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Chapter 38Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind: Verse 2"Who is this that darkens counsel by words without knowledge? Verse 3Gird up your loins like a man, I will question you, and you shall declare to me.
Verse 4"Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth? Tell me, if you have understanding. Verse 5Who determined its measurements-surely you know! Or who stretched the line upon it? Verse 6On what were its bases sunk, or who laid its cornerstone Verse 7when the morning stars sang together and all the heavenly beings shouted for joy? Verse 8"Or who shut in the sea with doors when it burst out from the womb?- Verse 9when I made the clouds its garment, and thick darkness its swaddling band, Verse 10and prescribed bounds for it, and set bars and doors, Verse 11and said, 'Thus far shall you come, and no farther, and here shall your proud waves be stopped'?
Devotion
In the story of Job, we are faced with the question, “why do people suffer?” Sometimes when we suffer, we allow our suffering to define us. We make our pain our identity. We become the center of our own universe. When this happens, we are separated from God and lost in chaos with nothing to hold us steady. The love God has for Job seems harsh to us but it serves to remind Job that Someone greater than himself is at work through his present crisis. Just as God has provided for the earth and the stars and the sea, God will provide for Job. Finally, Job is elevated to the position in which he belongs: beloved creation of God rather than his own best hope.
We remember with the story of Job that, even in the midst of our suffering, God loves us so much that God will continue to provide for us. This is good news, especially when our own resources, abilities, health, and tolerance are maxed out. Whew!
Prayer
Creator God, as we give ourselves to you today, please reorient our perspectives. As we sync our phones with our computers, sync our hearts with yours. Sustain us through our suffering and provide for our needs. We rest in the palm of your hand. Amen.