Job 23

Job, with yet another reply to his so-called friends: "Even today my complaint is bitter; his hand is heavy in spite of my groaning. If only I knew where to find him; if only I could go to his dwelling! I would state my case before him and fill my mouth with arguments. I would find out what he would answer me, and consider what he would say to me." (vs 2-5)

Did you find this as interesting as I did? Simply put, Job understood what is most important in life. He got it. He didn’t say, "If only my children hadn’t died. If only they could be resurrected!" He didn’t say, "If only I hadn’t lost all my wealth. If only I could get all my flocks back!" And he didn’t say, "If only I didn’t have to put up with this disease anymore. If only these boils weren’t causing me so much pain!"

No. He said, "If only I knew where to find God. If only I could get to where He is."

I hate to break it to you, but the daily circumstances of our lives don’t really matter all that much. It doesn’t matter if we’re rich or poor. It doesn’t matter if we’re healthy or sick. It doesn’t matter if we’re alone or in a crowd. It doesn’t matter if we’re unemployed or just got a promotion. The only thing that matters is whether God is with us.

We can have all the health, wealth, family, and friends in the world, but if we don’t have God, we have nothing. The reverse is also true. We can be sick, poor, and alone, but if we have God, we have everything. God is all. And when we have Him, we really do have it all.

The more I go through the book of Job, the more I am impressed with Job. (I guess God knew a thing or two when He started bragging about him.) He really was an upright, blameless man who had his priorities straight and knew what was important in life. And he really knew what God was like. And I want to come to know God just as well as he did. There is nothing more important.