Reading through the Bible chronologically with devotions from Come Boldly: Timeless Daily Encouragements on Prayer that pair with the Scripture readings.

Job 10 – 34  Come Boldly Pages 112, 288, 179, and mentions of Job p. 22, 47.

When my family was young, we took several car vacations. We usually couldn’t afford to fly, so we would drive the distance with three small kids. Inevitably, after only a few minutes in the car, one of the children would ask, “Are we there yet?” How much longer are we going to be here? We all can testify: the wait is the hard part.

But God is into process. Jeannette Clift George once aptly quipped, “God is never late. He rarely takes an opportunity to show up early, but He’s never late.” We are going to have to learn to wait on God, and learn to wait with expectancy. For God has purpose in His timing. While today is still today, God has His glorious work to do in our lives. Refining, reshaping, growing our faith, purifying our motives, welcoming our trust in Him, He sees this “work in progress,” our very souls, to completion in Him. But it’s rarely as quickly as we’d like.

Faith don’t come in a bushel basket, Missy. It come one step at a time. Decide to trust Him for one little thing today, and before you know it, you find out He’s so trustworthy you be putting your whole life in His hands.”
― Lynn Austin, Candle in the Darkness

Oh, Job. So many words, so little substance. Though eloquent and convincing, Job is caving in on himself. Mourning, depressed, and in failing health, he cries out to God. He wants a court date before his God. He’s examined his life and finds no vile thing within (and we can assume this is for the most part true because God said he was blameless and upright in Job 1:1)

Job thinks God has caused all his troubles. God allowed it, but Job’s devastating events were not at His Hand. Not sure if it is at all comforting, but it’s important to remember. We have no idea how much cosmic forces are at work in our lives. And evil abounds in the present age. Things are not set right yet, that is for certain. Again, this requires some patience on the part of the saints.

Job longs for a Savior that would plead his case.

For he is not a man, as I am, that I might answer him,
that we should come to trial together.
There is no arbiter between us,
who might lay his hand on us both.” Job 9:32-33

When it was all said and done, God didn’t answer a single question of Job. He reminds Job of Who he is dealing with. And Job repents and God restores.

What does this mean for us? Can we not wait just a little longer, knowing the wait is producing its good work within us? Because of the Cross, our Mediator lays His glorious Hand on us, and will be our Arbiter on that Day, pronouncing us blameless, His precious blood covering every sin that would separate us. And sometimes, it’s a good thing to simply close our mouths and listen to Wisdom having His way within us.

How about y’all? What lingers about Job as you read this week?