When Job Challenged God's Wisdom

Almost everyone who reads the Bible would know the story of Job. How he was tested twice, how his three friends comforted him with empty words, how he challenged the wisdom of GOD, how GOD took Job's challenge by asking Job questions, how Job responded, and how GOD blessed the later part of Job's life.

I love the story of Job. I love how GOD responded to Job's audicious questions. GOD questioned him back! Not so many people nowadays would be like Job in character, but, almost everyone  is like Job in questioning God's wisdom.

I love to question GOD with things I don't exactly understand: like the injustices of people who think they are just or good; or the hypocrisy of people who can not even distinguish their left hand from their right; or why people squeeze their realities to other people; the injustices of people around the world against other people. If I go on and on, I may not have time to finish.

I think GOD would rather have his children have that attitude of Job than that of Job's three friends. Those friends don't know what they're talking about. GOD was angry at them and would not even accept their prayers. GOD has to direct them to ask Job to intercede for them. GOD knows who got the heart after His truths.

Anyways, what I love the most with Job's story is that GOD took the time to intensely debate with Job. What a highly favored man. Imagine GOD defended HIS wisdom to a man!?! My relationship with GOD was almost like that ever since.

 "LORD, you know I'm living for you. Why are you allowing this? That and that; this and this; these and these?"

Sometimes God stays silent and simply listens. When I really need to know things,  He would ran images and words in my mind that made me understand. When He does that, I become afraid. "LORD, is that really you or just my imagination?" 

What's wonderful with GOD is that when You are His child He won't back away with your audacity or unbelief. He would even repeat that image and the words and add emotions. "LORD, stop, I can't bear the details yet. Just the summary please."

Going back to Job, why God allows misfortunes to pile up one after another? Dr. Larry Crabb commented in his book 'Inside Out' that God was breaking the influence of the 'demanding spirit' from Job. Could be.

But,

Could be: Job is the only one qualified to handle those and remain faithful to God? 

Could be: God wants to change the mindset of Job that 'he was blessed and protected because of his faithful obedience' to that of absolute surrender to God?

Could be: God wants Job to know Him personally and in new ways?

Could be: God simply loves Job and wants to show Job who He is as God.

Whatever GOD's objective(s) in allowing hardships in Job's life, He is simply GOD. Amazingly, His children got the privilege of challenging God to a wrestling match. They always came out alive, but, with one broken bone. (As if anyone of His children would win without His approval?!? People who were not God's children had challenged God and came out dead and crushed.)

If you want to test if you are a child of God, try challenging Him in a wrestling match. If you will come out either alive or dead, then, you'll know the answer.