In his grief Job does what all children do when they feel that they are being treated unfairly: he complains. The complaint of Job is not the complaint of someone with an over inflated sense of entitlement. This kind of complaint is an essential part of the language of faith. When a tension arises between the character of God and our situation we might be inclined to give up on God. Losing faith might look like abandoning something that we think won’t work for us. Job’s complaint is a sign that he has not done this with God. He doesn’t turn away from God; he turns to God and he persists in seeking some kind of consolation from him. This is remarkable. Job was an upright man who helped the poor and upheld justice and righteousness. But now we see him expressing faith and this is what pleases God the most. Often it is the worst circumstances that bring out the best in us and that was certainly true of Job. This is not a reason for suffering, rather, it is something that suffering will inevitably bring about for the person of faith. If you find it hard to see the goodness of God in your situation, don’t give up on God. Do what Job, and many of the psalmists did: complain. This honours God. It declares your conviction that God is good and your trust in God’s good intentions for you. If you feel confused, ripped off and even angry at God, don’t grumble and walk away with those feelings. Take them to God. This is what little children do.
Express how you feel to God.
Read Job 29-31
