Job 9-10

Lord God, one of the things that I have put a lot of faith in through the years, especially this past year, is that You are good. Your will is always for the good of every situation, and so that is what we try to work toward in the call to be Your disciples. Yet in my reading today, Your goodness is the very thing that Job is calling into question.

Sure, he's willing to concede that You created everything and that You are all powerful and that You exist. These things seem like givens to him. In fact, even though he doesn't believe, or is struggling to believe, that You are good, Job is still able and willing to worship You.

I find it interesting that in today's society, we don't take for granted the things that Job did. Regularly You are brought into question as being the creator of the world. Often times, even Christian and Jewish scholars will argue that You are not all powerful and that is why evil exists in the world. And atheists are now going on "missionary" voyages to spread the message that You don't exist.

I guess, I'm like Job. I take for granted that You are, that You are powerful and that You created everything. But sometimes I struggle with whether everything You do is for the good. Now, let me clarify with You, right now You and I are in really good standing. I am more trusting of You than I've been in a while, and You've repeatedly shown me Your good over the course of the last year. So I'm not questioning right now. I'm just willing to admit that I have.

It seems stupid now, but when Andrew lost in the first round of regional for tennis, I questioned big time then. Of course, I've since come to realize that there were two teams at play there, two players in that match, and You love all of them. But at the time I was thinking what a heartbreak it was to my brother, and You let it happen. And there are more examples like that. Why do You do those things?

But I've come to be content that there is a mysterious mixing of spiritual events and personal choices that actually control what's going on in reality. Most evil comes as a result of poor personal choices, or poor societal choices, or the fallen nature of man in general. If it is bad, even if it is affecting the innocent, it can probably be traced back to man. If it is good, it can probably be traced back to You.

So, I'm going to write a poem questioning Your goodness, because it is a great topic and brought up here by Job. But just know, my prayer from experience is: "God is good, all the time."