Job 9:25-35 – Hope in God will never disappoint us

Struggling to make sense of his sufferings, Job reached a low point in his life. He concluded from his struggles that the powerful God prefers wickedness to righteousness. So, he questioned the justice of God. How could God be just if he had to suffer so much despite being flawless. He saw it that way because he concluded that God is the direct cause of everything that happens on earth. So, the Almighty seemed to be an unjust tyrant.

Job used three imageries to describe the brevity of life. To him life was so short and fragile,  “swifter than a runner.” It’s like a courier hurriedly delivering his stuff. Secondly, he saw life moving so swiftly, like a ship made of reed. The material it was constructed with made it light and capable of moving very swiftly. Thirdly, he likened the days that swiftly pass on like “an eagle that swoops on its prey.” This king of birds sees a prey and loses no time to swoop on it.  

He came to a point where he felt pointless to change his outlook of life. Even if he were to stop complaining and brighten up, he was afraid that it would provoke God to intensify his suffering. He didn’t think that God would consider his innocence. In his warp conclusion, Job saw his suffering as proof that God had already pronounced him guilty. If God had thought otherwise, He would have removed his affliction. Regardless of all his attempts to prove his innocence, God’s perception of his guilt could not be removed. He would remain condemned by God. He felt that God had predetermined to judge him as guilty of some wrong no matter what.  God’s judgement of him seemed so final and there was nothing he could do to change that perception.   

Job was right to see that God has the final authority, but his focus on his suffering had caused him to lose his perception of God’s goodness momentarily. God is good all the time. He does not change like the shifting of shadows. Job’s experience teaches us to keep our focus in the right direction, especially in times of hardship. When we focus on the wrong direction, it may result in the perception that God is a heartless tyrant. It can even cause us to lose all hope we have in a good God. Let us remember what Paul said in Romans 5:3. When viewed rightly, suffering with patience will produce constancy. And constancy always develops character. When our character is built up, our hope in God will be strengthened. And hope will never disappoint us. That’s “because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.”