When Faith Wrestles

A Poem Inspired by Job 8–10

O Lord, my heart is burdened low,

With questions I can’t seem to know.

Like Job, I cry in dark despair,

Yet wonder—are You truly there?

My friends declare that pain must mean

Some hidden sin still lurks unseen.

But, Lord, I’ve searched—I’ve tried to find

A fault that justifies my mind.

They speak of justice, firm and cold,

Of cause and consequence foretold.

Yet mercy, Lord, I long to see—

Does suffering mean You’re far from me?

I look upon the vast night sky,

The stars, Orion soaring high.

You stretch the heavens, rule the waves,

And yet—my soul still longs to crave.

I am but dust, and You are wise,

Yet, through my tears, I lift my eyes.

I plead for one to take my place,

To stand for me before Your face.

A Mediator, strong and true,

Who knows my pain and suffers too.

One hand in heaven, one in dust,

Who speaks for me in love and trust.

And so, I wait—though night is long,

Though silence drowns my pleading song.

I do not see, yet I will stand,

For nothing slips from Your great hand.

For nothing’s lost beyond Your sight,

And even sorrow births new light.

O Lord, my God, when all seems vain,

Still You will weave my loss for gain.

I wrestle, yes, but still I pray—

For dawn will break, and come what may,

My God, my King, in You I trust,

Redeemer, wise and ever just.

Soli Deo Gloria

When Faith Wrestles with God’s Justice

Why, Lord? Holding Onto Faith in the Midst of Pain

Seeking Answers in Suffering

Job’s Cry for a Mediator

Trusting God When Nothing Makes Sense

The Silence of God and the Longing for Justice

Reflections on Job 8–10

Suffering often forces us to ask hard questions about God’s justice, love, and sovereignty. In Job 8–10, we see Job wrestling with these very questions in the face of unimaginable loss. His friend, Bildad, argues for a rigid, transactional view of divine justice—one that leaves no room for mystery or grace. Job, on the other hand, knows he has done nothing to deserve such suffering, and he desperately seeks an audience with God to plead his case.

At the heart of these chapters is the age-old struggle: How can a just God allow the righteous to suffer? And even deeper still: Is nothing impossible for God? Can He bring justice where there seems to be none? Can He restore when all appears lost? Through Job’s journey, we learn that true faith does not ignore suffering, but rather wrestles with God in the midst of it.

1. Bildad’s Faulty Theology: Right Premise, Wrong Application (Job 8)

Bildad is offended that Job still claims innocence while questioning God’s justice. He argues that God could never pervert justice (Job 8:3), meaning that Job’s suffering must be the result of his sin. His reasoning follows a simple equation:

• God is just.

• God punishes the wicked.

• Therefore, if Job is suffering, Job must be wicked.

This argument mirrors Eliphaz’s earlier speech (Job 4–5) but with even less compassion. Bildad goes as far as to say that Job’s children died because of their wickedness (Job 8:4). Instead of comforting Job, he deepens his wound by suggesting that the deaths of his children were deserved.

Spurgeon warns against such heartless reasoning: “Let us beware of the trite answers of well-meaning men. A broken heart needs binding, not beating.”

Bildad also assumes that Job has placed his security in something other than God: “What he trusts in is fragile; what he relies on is a spider’s web.” (Job 8:14, NIV)

While it is true that only God offers lasting security, Bildad’s application is flawed. Job has not abandoned his faith; he is struggling to understand God in the midst of suffering. Bildad’s theology leaves no room for the mystery of divine testing, the refining of character, or the reality that suffering is sometimes undeserved.

Reflection: Where do we find our security? In wealth, relationships, or status? Only faith in God can sustain us when all else fails.

2. Job’s Plea: Where is My Mediator? (Job 9)

In Job 9, Job acknowledges that God is just but struggles to see how he, as a mere human, can contend with Him: “How can a mortal be righteous before God?” (Job 9:2, NIV)

He describes God’s unmatched power over creation: “He alone stretches out the heavens and treads on the waves of the sea. He is the Maker of the Bear and Orion, the Pleiades and the constellations of the south.” (Job 9:8-9, NIV)

Despite his awe for God, Job feels helpless. He believes that even if he were innocent, God’s greatness would overwhelm him, making it impossible to defend himself: “Even if I were innocent, my mouth would condemn me.” (Job 9:20, NIV)

Here, we see Job’s growing frustration. He knows he is not perfect, but he also knows his suffering is not the result of unconfessed sin. He longs for a mediator—someone who can stand between himself and God: “If only there were someone to mediate between us, someone to bring us together.” (Job 9:33, NIV)

Theodore of Mopsuestia notes: “Job foresaw the need for a Redeemer, one who could reconcile humanity to God. His longing was not in vain.”

This is one of the most profound moments in Job’s lament. Unknowingly, he is pointing toward Christ, the Mediator who would come to bridge the gap between God and humanity. What Job desires—someone to plead his case before God—is exactly what Jesus accomplishes through His death and resurrection (1 Timothy 2:5).

3. Job’s Despair: Is God Against Me? (Job 10)

In Job 10, Job moves from questioning God’s justice to feeling personally attacked: “Your hands shaped me and made me… Will you now destroy me?” (Job 10:8, NIV) His despair deepens as he assumes that God is actively working against him. Pain distorts his perspective, leading him to the false conclusion that God created him only to bring him suffering.

“Did you not… clothe me with skin and flesh and knit me together with bones and sinews? You gave me life and showed me kindness, and in your providence watched over my spirit. But this is what you concealed in your heart, and I know that this was in your mind.” (Job 10:8-13, NIV)

Job’s words reveal a raw and unfiltered struggle. Brueggemann insightfully comments: “Job’s cry is not faithlessness, but faith seeking understanding in the midst of suffering.”

Even in his despair, Job is still talking to God. He is still seeking answers. This is an important lesson for us: God can handle our questions. Faith is not the absence of doubt, but the willingness to keep engaging with God in the midst of it.

4. Is Nothing Impossible for God?

At this moment in Job’s story, things look bleak. Job sees no hope, and Bildad offers no comfort. But we know how Job’s story ends—God will speak, God will restore, and Job will come to a deeper knowledge of His Creator.

1. Job thinks he has no mediator → God provides one in Christ.

2. Job thinks his suffering is pointless → God uses it to refine and restore him.

3. Job thinks he is abandoned → God is closer than he realizes.

George MacDonald reminds us:“The purpose of God’s justice is not punishment, but correction, and ultimately, restoration.” Though Job does not yet see it, his suffering will lead to revelation. Is nothing impossible for God? Job’s story proves that even in the darkest night, God is working toward redemption.

Final Takeaway: Wrestling with God is Still Faith

Job 8–10 challenges us to:

• Beware of rigid theology. Bildad’s view of suffering was simplistic and lacked compassion.

• Acknowledge the mystery of suffering. Job did not understand why he suffered, but he kept seeking God.

• Trust that God is working even when we don’t see it. Job saw no way forward, but God was preparing his restoration.

• Believe that nothing is impossible for God. Even in our darkest moments, God is not absent.

Job’s story reminds us that God’s justice and grace are far greater than we can comprehend. If we, like Job, continue to seek Him—even through doubt and despair—we will find that He was with us all along. The suffering is not the end. Redemption is coming.

Prayer:

Heavenly Father,

When life feels unfair and suffering clouds my understanding, help me to trust You. Like Job, I bring my questions, my doubts, and my pain before You. Teach me to rest in Your justice, even when I cannot see Your plan. Remind me that nothing is impossible for You—that in my weakness, You are working for my good. Give me faith to hold on, patience to endure, and hope in Your perfect timing. In Jesus, my Mediator, I find peace. Amen.

Soli Deo Gloria

Truth, Context, and Compassion

Speaking Wisely in Pain

When Comfort Turns to Condemnation

When Good Theology Becomes Bad Comfort

Encouragement or Harm in Times of Suffering

Listening Before Speaking

When Words Wound

Reflecting on Job 4:1–7:21

The book of Job offers profound insights into suffering, human responses, and God’s sovereignty. In Job 4–7, the speeches of Job’s friends begin, with Eliphaz speaking first. His words highlight the importance of interpreting truth with discernment and compassion. While his statements contain elements of truth about God’s justice, their misapplication leads to false assumptions and unnecessary accusations. 

These chapters serve as a sobering reminder that truth, when removed from its proper context or spoken without love, can wound rather than heal. Charles Spurgeon wisely cautions: “Truth must be spoken, but it must be spoken in love; and love must be truthful, but it must be gentle.”

Eliphaz Speaks: Truth Taken Out of Context

Eliphaz begins by reminding Job of his past righteousness:

“Think now, who that was innocent ever perished? Or where were the upright cut off?” (Job 4:7, NRSV).

His words reflect a common yet flawed assumption—that suffering is always a result of wrongdoing. While God is just and will ultimately uphold righteousness, Eliphaz fails to see the complexity of suffering. His theology of retribution assumes that Job’s suffering must be due to hidden sin.

John Stott warns against this mindset: “We must be wary of reducing God’s dealings with humanity to formulas that are simplistic and incomplete. The Bible reveals God as just, but also as merciful, mysterious, and beyond human comprehension.”

Eliphaz’s rigid theology leads him to accuse rather than comfort Job. Patrick Miller points out: “Eliphaz’s theology reduces God to a predictable system, where blessings are earned and suffering is deserved. Such a view not only distorts God’s nature but deeply wounds those in pain.”

Alexander Maclaren adds: “Truth, when misapplied, may become the bitterest falsehood. It is not enough to speak correctly; we must speak appropriately to the situation.”

Truth Without Compassion Can Harm

Eliphaz continues by urging Job to seek God:

“As for me, I would seek God, and to God I would commit my cause” (Job 5:8).

While this advice is generally sound, it is misapplied. Job has not turned from God—he is lamenting in faith, wrestling with his pain. Instead of acknowledging Job’s suffering, Eliphaz implies that Job must be at fault.

Eliphaz’s failure is not in his theology but in his lack of empathy. Eugene Peterson observes: “Even the right words become wrong when they are spoken without understanding or compassion. Theology divorced from compassion is no comfort to the sufferer.”

Job’s Response: Lament and Honest Prayer

In chapters 6 and 7, Job expresses the depth of his sorrow:

“Oh, that my vexation were weighed, and all my calamity laid in the balances! For then it would be heavier than the sand of the sea” (Job 6:2–3).

Job’s lament is not a rejection of faith but an act of faith. Michael Card explains: “Lament is not a failure of faith but an act of faith. It is faith refusing to let go of God, even in the midst of unanswered questions.”

Job rebukes his friends for their lack of compassion:

“Anyone who withholds kindness from a friend forsakes the fear of the Almighty” (Job 6:14). Donald Coggan reflects: “True friendship does not lecture; it listens. It does not explain; it embraces.”

Job also challenges Eliphaz’s approach: “Do you think that you can reprove words, when the speech of the despairing is wind?” (Job 6:26). Here, Job highlights the need for grace when speaking to those in distress. His words echo the biblical principle of “weep with those who weep” (Romans 12:15). N.T. Wright notes: “Job’s protests are not a rejection of God but a refusal to settle for easy answers about Him.”

Lessons for Today

1. Avoid Assumptions About Suffering

Eliphaz assumes that Job’s suffering is due to sin, but Job’s story reveals that suffering often serves a higher purpose beyond human understanding. Warren Wiersbe warns:

“When we assume to know God’s reasons without His revelation, we often misjudge both Him and others.”

2. Speak with Compassion

Eliphaz’s failure lies in his lack of empathy. Truth, when spoken without love, can become a weapon. Donald Coggan advises:

“The complexities of God’s purposes should make us humble, not judgmental.”

3. Bring Your Pain to God

Job’s honest prayers teach us that God welcomes our raw emotions. Eugene Peterson reminds us:

“Prayer is not a place to be good; it is a place to be honest.”

4. Trust God’s Sovereignty

Even when we do not understand, we can trust that God is working for our ultimate good. Spurgeon reassures us:

“When we cannot trace His hand, we must trust His heart.”

Conclusion: Truth, Context, and Compassion

Job 4–7 teaches us that truth must be applied wisely and with love. Eliphaz’s failure was not in what he said about God but in how he applied it to Job’s suffering. Truth, when stripped of its context and delivered without compassion, can cause more harm than good.

As we engage with Scripture and walk alongside those who suffer, let us remember the example of Christ, who embodies both truth and grace. May we seek to speak truth with humility, offer comfort with compassion, and trust God’s wisdom even when His purposes remain hidden.

Timothy Keller beautifully summarizes:

“Suffering can refine us rather than destroy us because God Himself walks with us in the fire.”

A Prayer for Wisdom and Compassion

Lord,

Teach us to handle Your Word with reverence and wisdom. Help us to speak truth with humility and love, always mindful of the context and the needs of others. When we encounter suffering, give us hearts of compassion and the wisdom to comfort rather than condemn. May we always reflect Your grace and truth as we point others to You. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Soli Deo Gloria