Job 42:1-6

Arthur Gossip’s wife suddenly passed away, leaving him devastated. As the pastor of a thriving church in Scotland, he felt lost and uncertain about how he would endure. It’s one thing to minister to those experiencing loss; it’s another when it becomes personal…and so painful.

When he could preach again, Gossip’s first message was: “But when life tumbles in, what then?” He struggled to reconcile his faith with his loss and openly shared this in his sermon.

I do not understand this life of ours. But still less can I comprehend how people in trouble and loss and bereavement can fling away peevishly from the Christian faith. In God’s name, fling to what? Have we not lost enough without losing that too?[1]

We started our Job study by asking three questions:

Can I trust in God when life doesn’t make sense?
Can I trust in God when I can’t explain him?
Is God enough?

Job’s life crumbled around him. He was mentally, physically, and spiritually battered and bruised. Like Gossip, he cried out, “God, I don’t understand this life of ours!” Job did not sin to bring about his suffering. However, he allowed bitterness and pride to take root amidst his pain. In his suffering, he demanded that God explain what was happening. God did respond, but not with an explanation. After appearing in a fierce storm, God bombarded Job with questions to demonstrate that God’s creative work could not be comprehended, controlled, or subdued by anyone other than God himself. This revealed the absurdity of Job’s mindset that he could understand God’s ways.

Let’s consider Job’s final response.

Job 42:1-2
Then Job answered the Lord and said: ² “I know that you can do all things, and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted.”

Job’s initial response to God’s questions demonstrated humility. He said, “Behold, I am of small account; what shall I answer you? I lay my hand on my mouth” (40:4). In his subsequent response, Job starts by affirming God’s sovereignty. He admits that nothing is outside of God’s control; nothing is impossible for him.

We must understand God’s sovereignty to grasp the message of Job and God’s work in our suffering. Job provides an excellent starting point. He declares that God can do all things, and no one or no thing can prevent him from accomplishing his purposes. Our suffering will not make sense unless we view it through the lens of God’s sovereignty. We must recognize that the circumstances of life are part of a larger plan. This understanding places our pain—albeit mysteriously—within the narrative that our loving Father is writing in our lives.

When we consider God’s sovereignty, it includes his omniscience (all-knowing), omnipotence (all-powerful), and self-existence (independence). Let’s reflect on the aspects of this attribute.

If there was one tiniest bit of information, however small, that God didn’t know, A. W. Tozer says, “[God’s] rule would break down at that point. To be Lord over all creation, He must possess all knowledge.”[2] And if God lacked “one infinitesimal modicum of power, that lack would end His reign and undo His Kingdom….”[3] Tozer explains “that one stray atom of power would belong to someone else and God would be a limited ruler and…not sovereign.”[4] Finally, God’s sovereignty demands that he be self-existent and absolutely free. Again, Tozer explains, “[God] must be free to do whatever He wills to do anywhere at any time to carry out His eternal purpose in every single detail without interference. Were He less than free He must be less than sovereign.”[5]

We should think about God’s sovereignty in two ways.

First, God is in control of all global affairs. Proverbs 21:1 states: “The king’s heart is a stream of water in the hand of the Lord; he turns it wherever he will.” Ponder that truth! In every world event you hear or read about, God is behind it all, working toward the glorious ending and new beginning he has prepared as part of his ultimate plan. This doesn’t mean we should refrain from discussing current events, nor does it imply that we aren’t active participants in national debates and elections. It also doesn’t mean we should cease to pray. Instead, it assures us that God maintains control at the end of the day, guiding all things toward his ultimate purpose. And remember, his plan cannot be thwarted.

Secondly, God oversees all personal matters, as shown in our study of Job. This doesn’t mean we shouldn’t cry out and ask questions; Job did. Just as God is shaping the global narrative for his plan and purpose, he is also crafting our story with the same intention.

The author of Psalm 147 skillfully combines God’s personal and sovereign work in this passage.

Psalm 147:3-5
He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds. ⁴ He determines the number of the stars; he gives to all of them their names. ⁵ Great is our Lord, and abundant in power; his understanding is beyond measure.

The God who can accomplish all things, the God whose purposes cannot be hindered, the God who names every star, the God who is omnipotent and omniscient—this same God “heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.” Isn’t that truth amazing?!

We began with a quote from Arthur Gossip, who dealt with grief. Let’s conclude with another insightful and uplifting point from the same sermon.

I don’t think you need to be afraid of life. Our hearts are very frail; and there are places where the road is very steep and very lonely. But we have a wonderful God.[6]

PERSONAL TIME WITH GOD
Read Job 42:1-6. Focus on the mystery and power of God’s sovereignty.

Talking to God
Pray Job 42:2 and Psalm 147:3-5. Tell God you desire to trust him.

Have Questions?
Be sure to send your questions to our team. We are happy to assist you as you explore God’s Word. Submit your question below, and we’ll reply soon. And if you don’t know where you stand with Jesus, we would love to have that conversation with you.

Check out my podcast with Ray Pritchard, in which he discusses suffering further. See The Journey with Ron Moore podcast Episode 34, “Keep Believing.”

[1] Ray Pritchard, Keep Believing: Finding God in Your Deepest Struggles (Gideon House Books, 2019), 9-10.

[2] A. W. Tozer, The Knowledge of the Holy (HarperOne, 1961), 108.

[3] Ibid.

[4] Ibid.

[5] Ibid.

[6] Pritchard, Keep Believing, 21.