16th September

(God) is not a man like me that I might answer him, that we might confront each other in court. Submit to God and be at peace with him; in this way prosperity will come to you. Accept instruction from his mouth and lay up his words in your heart. Job 9, 32 ; 22, 21 & 22

Job's problem

No, he well knew that God had permitted everything and his question simply was: Why did he allow it? What have I done that this happens to me?

He questions himself even more because of his friend Bildad who tells him that God who is perfectly righteous blesses them who are good and honest and that he punishes the evil. Now, such an affirmation is inexact and immerses Job into perplexity.

In all these considerations there is an important element missing, this is: if God is righteous then he is also filled with wisdom and love. This can give confidence to the believer and enable him to rely on this promise even if everything seems to be against him: "In all things God works for the good of those who love him" (Romans 8, 28). It was necessary for Job to understand that God loved him and that he is not only the inflexible judge described by his friend.

We know that God loved us so much that he gave us his son. However, when we have a difficulty our first reaction is to see the difficulty as God's punishment. Let us never forget that he loves us and let us always preserve our confidence in him!