In the land of Uz there lived a man whose name was Job. What did this man learn from his life – from the pain and suffering, the wise and unwise counsel, from all the unanswered questions – 288 of them to be exact, including 78 questions from God?
Even after his health and wealth were restored, he never knew that God and Satan were bartering over his soul in heavenly places. He never knew that his story was going to be chronicled in the most important book in history and read for thousands of years by millions of people, that it would be pored over and picked apart by generations of scholars, that it would continue to be debated in the classroom and literary halls of history, that indeed whole volumes of books about him would stand in seminary libraries, and songs and plays would be written and performed about his life.
All he knew was that things were going along swimmingly for a while, and then suddenly everything got really bad, and then it got good again. Did he ever get his questions answered? No, but he did see God, and apparently that was enough. “My ears have heard of you but now my eyes have seen you,” declared Job after facing God’s 78 questions. “Therefore I despise myself and repent in dust and ashes” (Job 42:5-6).
What did Job do to repent of? “I spoke of things I did not understand, things too wonderful for me to know” (Job 42:3).
He spoke too soon.
He tried to answer questions he had no business answering.
He tried to explain his life.
He tried to put tab A of his theology into slot B of his experience, and it didn’t fit.
He tried to make sense of his life instead of learning to live it, regardless of what was happening to him.
I think a similar repentance is in order today from people who often speak to soon. We have rushed to fill the void where only wonder should be – wonder, and doubt, and suffering, and ambiguity, and worship. We have knelt too freely at the cultural shrines of easy answers rather than live a courageous asking, seeking, knocking life – open, honest, and needy before the Lord and before the world.
John Fischer The Catch 
I have to save this one. A client of mine is now dealing with the suicide of his 26-yr-old stepson. As strong as believers they are, their family is definitely questioning and struggling with this. The funeral is today.
Hard to fathom. Even this is not outside the reach of God’s grace,
Yes, I believe that great serpent pride wielded it’s evil head, and that is exactly the sin Job was referring to. His sin was pride. Ofcourse if we just come out and say it, I guess the devotional wouldn’t be as long, it’s got to flow. God bless you.
The last four “he tried”s in the litany speak loudly to me. As is so often the case, God tells me exactly what I need to learn from a challenging day. More often that not, He speaks to me without accusation or stern correction. Like this time, He is clear — and clearly loving. Thanks for writing as God’s channel, John.
Sometimes you knock it out of the park, John. This was one of those times.
Though He slay me, yet will I trust in Him.