Job - Pt. 7

 

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place1 of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” (Revelation 21:1-4 ESV).

 

The Book of Job is so difficult. While I have attempted bring encouragement to you in the midst of whatever trial you are experiencing, the story is exhausting in both its complexity and length. However, today we come to the last of our questions. The first three are “Who?”; “Why?”; and, “When?” The last and final question that Job helps us answer is “What?” If God is indeed responsible; if He is producing good in our life; and, if He is going to give us the final revelation of that good when we are sanctified and ushered into His glory; then, shouldn’t we be able to know “What?” After all, what is it that is so good that the Lord would be willing to continue to allow our suffering? Our answer is in today’s reading. Job didn’t have this answer fully. Jesus had not yet come. The end was not nearly as plain as it is for us looking back on what Jesus has already finished on our behalf.

 

I have often been asked at this point in counseling the people who feel lost and without hope “What about now?” I am not diminishing the real pain people are feeling when they are in the midst of Job-like struggles and grief when I say, “What about now?” The really is the question though. “Now” is such a fleeting moment. It certainly cannot compare to “then.” It is at this point when we all must come to an understanding of a phrase that I have adopted long ago: One day closer.

 

With every passing moment, with every passing hour, we get that much closer to our ultimate deliverance. Until that time, we have an unshakable, eternal relationship with the God of all things. As great as we may have come to believe any challenge or difficulty might be, it is nothing compared to the great God and Creator of all things. He is the One we call “Father”; and, there is no good thing that He will withhold from His children. That day is coming. For some of us it may be sooner than we even imagine! That is the “what”!