Of Little Account

“Behold, I am of little account; what can I answer you?” Job 40:3

I have been reading from the Book of Job since Monday. I don’t know if there is any verse in Job that we would cross stitch and put on our walls. Job lost his sons and daughters, his sheep, his shepherds, his camels, his servants, even his health. He was only left with his grumpy wife who advised him, “Curse God and die!” 

Job replied, “You talk like a godless woman. Should we accept only good things from God and never anything bad?” Indeed, we never know what a day brings. Last month, my husband Luigi ended up in the ER as he was feeling like he was going to have a heart attack. It was a good thing he was with brothers from his men’s group. He asked God what to do, and God said, “Go and ask the brothers to pray over you.” After the prayers, the guys took him to the hospital where they had him undergo some tests. While this was happening at the other side of the city, I asked family and brothers and sisters in our community to pray. Thank God, the tests showed nothing amiss, but I realize the situation could easily have ended differently. 

Job’s friends tried to comfort and guide him. “My advice to you is this: Go to God and present your case to Him. For He does great works too marvelous to understand. He performs miracles without number...For though He wounds, He also bandages. He strikes, but His hands also heal.” Job didn’t understand and he had many questions. He was so desperate and devastated like us when we are in a dark place. 

But God stooped to Job’s level and answered his questions from a whirlwind: “Brace yourself for I have some questions for you!” Of course, Job could not answer God’s timeless and profound questions! We too cannot answer our own questions, much less God’s. We just need to get to a place where we can trust in Him and hide under His wings.