Job answered his friends and said: I know well that it is so;
but how can a man be justified before God?
Should one wish to contend with him,
he could not answer him once in a thousand times.
God is wise in heart and mighty in strength;
who has withstood him and remained unscathed?
He removes the mountains before they know it;
he overturns them in his anger.
He shakes the earth out of its place,
and the pillars beneath it tremble.
He commands the sun, and it rises not;
he seals up the stars.
He alone stretches out the heavens
and treads upon the crests of the sea.
He made the Bear and Orion,
the Pleiades and the constellations of the south;
He does great things past finding out,
marvelous things beyond reckoning.
Should he come near me, I see him not;
should he pass by, I am not aware of him;
Should he seize me forcibly, who can say him nay?
Who can say to him, “What are you doing?”
How much less shall I give him any answer,
or choose out arguments against him!
Even though I were right, I could not answer him,
but should rather beg for what was due me.
If I appealed to him and he answered my call,
I could not believe that he would hearken to my words.
The peace of the Lord be with you. The words of Job are so eloquent. For those of you who have been following the readings for the last few days the experience of Job gives us a lot to think about.
In today’s reading, Job ponders the mystery of God. As he explores the mystery of God he senses God’s great might and power, His great authority, His ability to blend with creation, and his own smallness in relationship to God the Creator. There is also great humility in the words of Job as he articulates the God owes him nothing — that God is never bound to respond to his questions or yearnings. Yet if we think back to the early chapters of this book of scripture, God delights in Job just as He delights in us. Despite His power, He exercises great tenderness, hears and responds to our request, and ultimately — He will send his son to rescue us.
I hope that today that you will have time to ponder the great mysteries of God, listen for his voice, and recognize the great tenderness with which he attends to your needs. In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.