Job 7

As Job continued his response to Eliphaz’s speech, he once again addressed God directly: "I will not keep silent; I will speak out in the anguish of my spirit, I will complain in the bitterness of my soul. Am I the sea, or the monster of the deep, that you put me under guard? When I think my bed will comfort me and my couch will ease my complaint, even then you frighten me with dreams and terrify me with visions, so that I prefer strangling and death, rather than this body of mine. I despise my life; I would not live forever. Let me alone; my days have no meaning." (vs 11-16)

There’s no doubt about it. Job was in a state of absolute misery. And when he cried out to God, it’s obvious that Job believed that God was punishing him for some reason. Eliphaz and Job’s other friends contended that Job was being punished for his sin, but Job maintained his innocence. Still, in verse 16, Job asks God to let him alone. He doesn’t want to "be punished" any longer.

As readers of the story, we have the benefit of seeing the whole story. And the fact of the matter is that God wasn’t punishing Job, He was honoring Job. Don’t you find that incredible? Job’s misery caused him to think that what was going on was the exact opposite of what the actual story was. God wasn’t angry or displeased with Job. He was more than happy with him. What seemed to Job like God’s punishment were the circumstances that were going to result in Job’s exaltation.

Our perspective, like Job’s, is limited at best. Therefore, it’s helpful to remember that God knows the whole story. And, as his story went on, Job demonstrated that he had faith in that. Though he couldn’t see as God could see, he continued to trust that God knew what He was doing—even when he couldn’t understand it.

When we’re facing a personal crisis, such as illness, I’m sure you’ve heard people talk about having enough faith to be healed. But what about having enough faith to be sick? Do we have enough faith to remember that God knows the whole story and, consequently, we will one day also know the whole story? Job had enough faith to withstand the enemy’s onslaught. And so can we.