Week 4: Grumble, Grumble

I, admittedly, struggled with the continued reading of Job this week. The back and forth between him and his friends was a bit lost on me most days. What I did think about was: "Am I a grumbler?" Am I grumbling about my circumstance when I should be offering up praise instead? I know that I have a tendency to continue to think and process situations in my life, and then offer up prayers of, "why?" and "why not such and such". Some days its hard to remember that the plan is bigger than just me, and that my time is not God's time. Job and his friends had a lot to say about God, His love, His power and His plan. A couple of the verses that stuck out to me over the week included:

• "Submit to God, and you will have peace; then things will go well for you. Listen to his instructions, and store them in your heart." Job 22:21-22. Advice that I know I have to remind myself of every morning.
• "...Who, then, can comprehend the thunder of his power?" Job 26:14. I liked the phrase, "...the thunder of his power". Two things I don't really understand, and fear, thunder and the power of God. Beautiful imagery.
• "For God speaks again and again, though people do not recognize it." Job 33:14. We are being sought after, we just have to be willing to listen with more than just our ears.

There is so much I don't understand why it happens, but I need to trust that God is bigger than any earthly struggles I (we) face. My hope for the week: "But as for me, I know that my Redeemer lives, and he will stand upon the earth at last. And after my body has decayed, yet in my body I will see God! I will see him for myself." Job 19: 25-27. (As a side note, it never occurred to me that these words came in the Old Testament. What promises we are given! And when we least expect it.)