Job 42:1-11
42 Then Job answered the Lord, and said,
2 I know that thou canst do every thing, and that no thought can be withholden from thee.
3 Who is he that hideth counsel without knowledge? therefore have I uttered that I understood not; things too wonderful for me, which I knew not.
4 Hear, I beseech thee, and I will speak: I will demand of thee, and declare thou unto me.
5 I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear: but now mine eye seeth thee.
6 Wherefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes.
7 And it was so, that after the Lord had spoken these words unto Job, the Lord said to Eliphaz the Temanite, My wrath is kindled against thee, and against thy two friends: for ye have not spoken of me the thing that is right, as my servant Job hath.
8 Therefore take unto you now seven bullocks and seven rams, and go to my servant Job, and offer up for yourselves a burnt offering; and my servant Job shall pray for you: for him will I accept: lest I deal with you after your folly, in that ye have not spoken of me the thing which is right, like my servant Job.
9 So Eliphaz the Temanite and Bildad the Shuhite and Zophar the Naamathite went, and did according as the Lord commanded them: the Lord also accepted Job.
10 And the Lord turned the captivity of Job, when he prayed for his friends: also the Lord gave Job twice as much as he had before.
11 Then came there unto him all his brethren, and all his sisters, and all they that had been of his acquaintance before, and did eat bread with him in his house: and they bemoaned him, and comforted him over all the evil that the Lord had brought upon him: every man also gave him a piece of money, and every one an earring of gold.
Take special notice of Job’s words. He does not reply, “I’ve got an argument here.” On the contrary, He says, “I retract and repent.” There’s no divine force. There’s no threatening rebuke from God. “Job, if you don’t get down on your knees and beg for mercy from Me, I’m going to finish you off!”
No. In gentle, resigned submission Job rests his case in the Father’s will. He says, “You instruct me, and as a result of Your instruction, I will willingly submit and accept it.” Do you know what I love about Job’s attitude? There is an absence of talk about “my rights.” There is not a hint of personal entitlement. There is no expectation or demand. There’s not even a plea for God to understand or to defend him before his argumentative friends. Furthermore, there’s no self-pity, no moody, depressed spirit. He is completely at rest. His innermost being, at last, is at peace.
You may say, “Well, if God had blessed me as He blessed Job, I’d say that too.” Wait. He hasn’t yet brought relief or reward. The man is still covered with boils. He still doesn’t have any family. He’s still homeless. He’s still bankrupt. With nothing external changed, Job says quietly, “Lord, I’m Yours.”
Focus on the timing. Humble yourself not after He exalts you, but humble yourself now. Don’t wait. Pull back, stop the arguing, and rest in Him. It is remarkable how He will quiet your spirit and transport you to a realm of contentment you’ve never known before, even with most of the answers missing. The philosophers of this world demand answers. The believer who has now learned through this kind of cataclysmic experience to trust, regardless, demands nothing. And the worries slowly fade away, one after another.
“Humble yourselves in the presence of the Lord, and He will exalt you” (James 4:10).
God can give a humble spirit quiet contentment, even with the answers missing.
— Charles R. Swindoll
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