Suffering Over A Plate Of Broccoli

Job 38:19-24 “Where is the way to the dwelling of light, and where is the place of darkness, that you may take it to its territory and that you may discern the paths to its home? You know, for you were born then, and the number of your days is great! “Have you entered the storehouses of the snow, or have you seen the storehouses of the hail, which I have reserved for the time of trouble, for the day of battle and war? What is the way to the place where the light is distributed, or where the east wind is scattered upon the earth?

For the last couple of months my Son Sammy has been saying this new thing when he either wants something, or wants to justify himself in some way. For example if he does not want to eat his broccoli, he will pick through it with his fork and say something like, “some boys don’t have to eat their broccoli because they don’t like it.” In these statements, he is claiming to know something that I know he does not know. He wants to justify his unwillingness to eat his vegetables by appealing to a higher grouping of boys. I will ask him, “how do you know some boys don’t have to eat their broccoli simply because they don’t like it?” He will then try and use his God given circular reason and say, “because some boys just don’t have to.” I will then ask him to name me the boys. He of course can not.

Job has claimed that he knows of no reason why he should be suffering in the ways he has suffered. He has mentioned that he desires to have a trial before God and plead his case of innocence. Job has the opportunity to do this very thing now, but the Judge has some things to say first.

Does Job know where the dwelling place for the light is? Does he know where the storehouses are for the snow or hail? Was he there when these things were established? Do you know? Can you discern the paths of the wind?

It’s so easy to think we know better than God. When we are suffering it is easy to look over at another person and say “some people don’t have to go through trials in their life.” If God were to ask me how I know that these folks have not suffered, I would probably be in the same situation my son finds himself in when he does not want to eat his broccoli. I don’t want to suffer and so I hope to plead to a higher group of imaginary folks who have never done so.