Yesterday, I saw a picture of a beautiful sunrise, and the caption stated,” I see you, God.” I thought it was stunning. I often look at God’s work on display in his creation and see Him. However, this morning after reading Job’s book, I wondered how often we see God in his works that are not as beautiful as a sunrise or sunset? Do we see him amid a trial or illness? Do we see him when money is low, or stress is high? Do we see him only when we are prospering or also when we are suffering? 

First, ask yourself how you interact with or act towards God when things don’t go your way, you lose something or someone, or some unforeseen event happens? The answer to this question is often dependent on our view of the situation. Do we have satan’s perspective, a view that believes in God only when we are prosperous and are not suffering? The view of others who may think our suffering is God’s judgment for sin? The view that suffering is God’s way to teach, discipline, and refine. Or God’s view that suffering causes us to trust God for who he is, not what he does?

In Job 40, God shows Job and us that, as limited humans, we neither have the ability or right to question the works of God. God’s actions are not dependent on ours. He will do what he knows is best, regardless of what we think is fair. However, God does so while demonstrating his love and care for us. It is only by looking at our situation from God’s view that we can understand this. 

So the next time you find yourself suffering, consider your view.