The book of Job narrates the agony and faith of a great saint in order to teach us about the way in which the Lord governs his world, and how we can trust him when we suffer. Job was a deeply spiritual man who was greatly blessed for his faith (see Job 1:1–3), but when the motives for Job’s piety were questioned by the Accuser, the Lord allowed Job to lose every earthly blessing in order to prove the genuineness of his dependence upon God. Job’s friends visited him with good intentions (2:11; 33:32) but only caused him more pain (19:12) by insisting that he must have sinned in order to have provoked such brutal treatment from God. Job admits he has needed forgiveness many times but insists he has walked in integrity with God and has done nothing to deserve such suffering. As a result, Job finds himself forced to the terrifying but mistaken conclusion that God has treated him unjustly—that God is not fully just or good or trustworthy. Even while saying these dark things about God, however, Job will also express remarkable faith and a certainty that he will be reconciled to the Lord. The debate between Job and his friends over the character of God and Job and, by extension, over the moral order of life only alienates and embitters Job. It is not until the Lord himself speaks to Job about the way in which he rules the universe—and what place he allows for evil—that Job is comforted. Having proved that he loves God for God’s sake, irrespective of any blessing God might grant, Job is restored to the full and blessed life that God desires for all of his children. [Read More]