Things Too Wonderful For Me

God finished up His second “speech”, and it was Job’s turn to speak, one last time.

“‘Then Job answered the LORD, and said, ‘I know that Thou canst do all things, and that no purpose of Thine can be thwarted…Therefore I have declared that which I did not understand, things too wonderful for me, which I did not know…I have heard of Thee by the hearing of the ear; but now my eye sees Thee; therefore I retract, and I repent in dust and ashes.'” ~ Job 42:1-2, 3b, 5-6

God never did tell Job why He had allowed the suffering to come into his life. Sometimes we may never know the whys. But Job recognized that he should not have challenged or questioned God and His ways, for God and His ways are beyond our understanding.

Are we content to simply let go and trust? Complete and total surrender ~ “I retract, and I repent in dust and ashes”. You are the Creator and Commander of the entire universe. I will not question your ways, even though I cannot understand them. I choose to have faith in You, for You are worthy of my trust.

“And the LORD restored the fortunes of Job when he prayed for his friends, and the LORD increased all that Job had twofold…And the LORD blessed the latter days of Job more than his beginning, and he had 14,000 sheep, and 6,000 camels, and 1,000 yoke of oxen, and 1,000 female donkeys. And he had seven sons and three daughters…And after this Job lived 140 years, and saw his sons, and his grandsons, four generations. And Job died, an old man and full of days.” ~ Job 42:10, 12-13, 16-17

In Job 42:7-9, God reprimanded Job’s three friends, commanded them to offer burnt offerings, and instructed them to have Job pray for them, because “‘My wrath is kindled against you…because you have not spoken of Me what is right as My servant Job has.'” (Job 42:7b). I found it so amazing that when Job prayed for his friends, the LORD restored his fortune. Job’s focus was taken off his own circumstances, off his own self, and was others-centered when he prayed for his friends. And then God healed and blessed him!

And so we come to the end of the book of Job. Job’s story does have a happy ending. 🙂 And if you are a child of God, yours will, too!

Hang in there. Trust God, even when you don’t understand, for He is faithful. Take your focus off of yourself and focus on others. God will see you through and meet your needs.