Sitting with Job ...

It's Friday. A Friday for Job. In Job 21 he is taking time to reflect over the events of his life and unfortunately at this point he sees a lot of crap. So he is asking his observers these questions:

• "As for me, is my complaint addressed to mortals?" (v. 4a);
• "Why should I not be impatient?" (v. 4b);
• "Why do the wicked live on, reach old age, and grow mighty in power?" (v. 7);

And on reflecting on the rich people who are evil, he writes:

• They say to God, 'Leave us alone. We do not desire to know your ways. What is the Almighty that we should serve him? And what profit do we get if we pray to him?' Is not their prosperity indeed their own achievement? The plans of the wicked are repugnant to me ... How often does calamity come upon them? ... How often are they like straw before the wind, and like chaff that the storm carries away?" (vv. 15-16, 17b, 18).

Job is asking: "Why? Why? Why?" If only he was dealing with an easier question such as, "What might I do for the good of humanity even in my own unjust situation?"

Personally, I have never found a good answer to that "why" question. Hey, Job, stop asking 'why'. Just know in your tragedy that the goodness of God is hanging around. God may, or may not be, in your friends or acquaintances that are hanging around.

Wait. Sit back, take a deep breath, and wait.