Why?

In difficult seasons of life, the question we often find ourselves asking and seeking comfort in is... Why? This week, in Job 8, we learn what a bad answer to this question is through the wisdom of Bildad. Bildad has a simple answer... God is just. He punishes sinners and rewards the upright. This is why Job and his family have suffered. And it is how he can be restored. That's all there is to it. Bildad's answer would have been a good one... if he had continued and also explained God to be just, loving, merciful, gracious, forgiving, and faithful. With a wider understanding of who God is, there would have been room for Job to be the Innocent Sufferer we know him to be. Room for Job to be a man God delighted in, and had chosen to reveal his glory to. Sadly, Bildad's understanding of God as 'just' alone is too small. He has no real wisdom or comfort to offer Job in these trying days. May we learn from Bildad's mistakes when considering the "why?" of our suffering in the hands of a BIG God, gracious, merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love.