God cannot be contained by our theology. Though He is never inconsistent with His own nature and His own truth, He often seems to act apart from our ideas about Him. God is loving and good; He is never malicious. But His love for us sometimes takes forms we cannot understand. The major flaw in Job’s monologue is not what He knows about God. It is that he insists on defending himself. Jesus faced suffering beyond our comprehension, and yet, when led as a lamb to the slaughter, he simply remained silent.

Reflection
It isn’t inherently bad to have fond memories of our past experiences. Why we remember our past is significant. Read Psalm 77:10-11 and identify the value of our past. What are the dangers of focusing solely on the past? Why is it important that we face the reality of where we are in life now? If you were to “take stock” in your life, would what would your inventory look like? Would it focus on your righteousness or the avoidance of unrighteousness? Would it highlight your status and influence in the community? Or would it reflect God’s grace and mercy evenly recognizable in both good times and bad?

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