Job 1:1

There was a man in the land of Uz whose name was Job, and that man was blameless and upright, one who feared God and turned away from evil.

Job 30:16-20

“And now my soul is poured out within me;
    days of affliction have taken hold of me.
17 The night racks my bones,
    and the pain that gnaws me takes no rest.
18 With great force my garment is disfigured;
    it binds me about like the collar of my tunic.
19 God has cast me into the mire,
    and I have become like dust and ashes.
20 I cry to you for help and you do not answer me;
    I stand, and you only look at me.

Job 42:1-5

Then Job replied to the Lord:

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.

Sermon Recap

Why do bad things happen to good people? You probably have a “why story” - a story of something you’ve been through that made you ask the question, “Why?”

Last week we learned from the book of Proverbs that wise people generally do better. The book of Job teaches us that while that’s true, wise people also aren’t exempt from suffering.

The first verse of Job tells you that he was a good guy who feared God and turned away from evil. Yet he still had everything taken away from him: his children, his possessions, his livelihood, and his children.

Application Question

What comes to mind when you think of your own “why story?”

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The middle 35 chapters of Job are a series of conversations between Job and his friends about why God would allow him to suffer in the way he did. And after 35 chapters of conversations about God, God finally shows up. But rather than answering Job’s why questions, he responds with a deeper revelation of who he is. We want an explanation, but God responds by meeting us in the midst of our questions.

Application Question

How did God meet you in the midst of the “why story” you mentioned earlier, and how did your relationship with him grow because of it?

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One of the most fascinating things about the book of Job is that Job comes closer than any other character to saying things about God that feel untrue. His friends sound more theologically correct than he does. But at the end of the book, Job gets commended by God and his friends get corrected. Why?

It’s because Job’s friends talked a lot about God. But Job is the only one in the whole book who talks to God. And that’s how we ought to respond in the midst of our why stories as well.

Application Question

Are you as honest in prayer as Job? How can you practice that same type of gut-level honesty in prayer this week?