God's Gift of Money: Devotions from Time of GraceSample

Why, God?

Anyone who has ever read the Bible even casually resonates with the story of Job. Well-to-do and comfortable, he loses his wealth, servants, family members, and finally even his health. We generally remember Job for his courage and brilliant confession of confidence in his coming Redeemer.

But Job speaks for all of us when in his weaker moments he complained to God about the bitter unfairness of the way his life was turning out. Job cried out what we cry out when we are frustrated, hurting, and confused: “Why, God? Oh, that I had someone to hear me!”

We are creatures whose lives are fixed to one moment in time and one spot on earth. How amused, and probably also disappointed, God must be when we talk as though we see the big picture. How little we know! How little we have seen! God could have answered Job in many ways; he said this: “Who is this that darkens my counsel with words without knowledge? Where were you when I laid the earth’s foundation?” (Job 38:2,4).

When Satan tempts us to doubt God’s intelligence and management ability, let us recall that he carved the Grand Canyon, arranged the Himalayas, froze water into glaciers, and built the oxygen-rich atmosphere without any advice from us. Job’s life turned out okay. We’ll be okay. God is good at what he does.