One of the central themes of Job is that life is a mystery. We would love to reduce this life to a few simple principles (do good and you’ll be blessed; do evil and you’ll be punished). Life doesn’t work that way. Life is complicated, not simple. The ways of God are beyond us, but we trust that God is working out His eternal purposes for us in a way that is consistent with His unchanging love.

Reflection
The Christian believer has a heavenly Advocate in Jesus Christ. (1 John 2:1-2). How does Jesus help us when we are tempted and tested? (See Hebrews 2:17-18; 4:14-16.) What happens when we fail (1 John 1:5-2:2)? How can we speak words of encouragement to our friends who are suffering in pain or in grief without causing more harm? How should we approach the concept of “tough love” when a person is suffering as a direct result of their choices and actions? How do we balance tough love with mercy when a person has hit what appears to be a low point in his life? How should the hope of a resurrected Redeemer impact our conversations with people who are dealing with difficult life circumstances?