Rethinking God

I'm guessing most of us have an understanding of who God is, what God is like, as well as what God would and would not do or say.

But as you read the book of Job you have forty two chapters of people assuming they know about God and then finding out they really know very little at all about Him.

In the last chapter we read this:

Then there came to him (Job) all his brothers and sisters and all who had known him before, and they ate bread with him in his house;they showed him sympathy and comforted him for all the evil that the LORD had brought upon him... (Job 42:11 NRSV) (italics mine)

I invite you to wrestle with this verse.

God "brought evil" upon Job?!

Is that something God does? Bring evil upon blameless people?

Lay it next to Job 1:8 where God commends Job for being a blameless and upright man who fears God and turns away from evil.

Job runs from evil. God says that is good.

God brings evil upon Job. That sure seems to be bad.

Does this idea mess with who you see God to be and what you see God doing?

It does with me.

It makes me ask, "How well do I really know God?"

And, "How often have I incorrectly assumed I knew what God would/n't do?"

Finally, it makes me determined to spend more time with God; to learn Who God is, and to approach all of my studies and teachings with humility.

I'm interested to know what your response is to these verses.

If you have some thoughts or questions, e-mail me at jcrwdr@juno.com

Grace & peace