Job 8:1–3: “Then Bildad the Shuhite answered and said: ‘How long will you [Job] speak these things, / And the words of your mouth be like a strong wind? / Does God subvert judgment? / Or does the Almighty pervert justice?'”

December 3rd, 2023 by Pastor Ed in devotional

Job’s second friend-accuser, Bildad, also tried to convince Job that his suffering was the result of sin in his life. He called Job a windbag, saying he was full of hot air and was accusing God of not judging him rightly. Bildad’s advice was short and dry: repent and everything will be fine. People still use these arguments today as they try to be helpful, but their counsel and comfort just ends up bringing confusion and condemnation to their victims. Of course Job believed God was just. He wasn’t struggling with whether or not God could help him, but whether or not God wanted to help him. All believers at one time or another have had these very same thoughts and questions. Does God really want to rescue us; does He truly have our best interest in mind? Satan, the accuser, has been planting these doubts about God’s character and goodness since Eden.

Even the apostles struggled with this while they were crossing a tempestuous sea. Jesus was sleeping in the stern of their boat, and when the disciples woke Him, they said, “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?” (Mark 4:38). Jesus knew the disciples’ faith was small and He cared enough about them to not let it stay small. So He calmed the storm and pointed out that they weren’t walking in faith. The problem for us as earth-bound travelers is that we often can’t see beyond the immediate pain and crisis at hand. But God has stated over and over in the Bible that He is concerned with our welfare, that He is actively pursing a relationship with us. In order for our faith to grow, we have to be in circumstances where we are pressed and can’t see any way out; only then do we reach a point where we are forced to rely more and more on Him. Then as He sustains and delivers us, we see how great and trustworthy He is and our faith expands.

Missionary Hudson Taylor learned to completely trust in God’s faithfulness. He wrote in his journal:

Our heavenly Father is a very experienced One. He knows very well that His children wake up with a good appetite every morning . . . He sustained 3 million Israelites in the wilderness for 40 years. We do not expect He will send 3 million missionaries to China; but if He did, He would have ample means to sustain them all . . . Depend on it, God’s work done in God’s way will never lack God’s supply.

“LORD, we choose to trust You today . . . help our unbelief.”