God of All Comfortಮಾದರಿ

I still remember a friend’s wounding words after I found out something extremely painful. As the days rolled on, I found myself constantly battling people’s desire to tidy up my sorrow by sweeping it neatly into a pile and explaining away the pain I felt. I felt my suffering was not caused by myself or any choices I had made, and yet others continued to try to rationalize it in their minds.

The book of Job highlights the absurdity of trying to explain away someone’s circumstances and understand all of what God is doing when God is the one who is sovereign and all-powerful. Job’s friends were overconfident in human wisdom, and Job 38 highlights all of God’s knowledge in comparison to our finite perspective. Job’s friends weave their own thoughts and perspectives as to why Job is experiencing such horrible trials. Their thoughts planted distress and self-doubt in Job. Through this season of heartache, I began to second guess my judgment, distrusted myself, and felt unsure about my choices.

It’s not just acceptable for Christians to express anguish and lament when they face suffering, it’s what we see modeled to us in the scriptures through the examples of Job, Jeremiah, Hannah, and Habakkuk. God comforts him in chapter 38 through his powerful statements about who he is to Job.

“Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth?” (Job 38:4, NLT) God doesn’t explain his reasoning or give answers to Job. Living with unanswered questions is one of the hardest tests a person can go through. Job’s pain was amplified and intensified because he couldn’t figure out why he was suffering and why he was going through what he was going through. God answers him by reminding Job of his power. He reminds Job of the created order: he marks the dimensions of the earth (38:5), orders the morning (38:12), and controls all the forces of nature.

During this season, I learned to stop seeking comfort only through others and confronted my fears of rejection and people-pleasing. I listened to God’s voice as he spoke to me through his word. Instead of prioritizing agreeableness, I focused on deepening my ability to listen to the Spirit's voice in my life.

This shift reminds me of God emphasizing his sovereignty and omniscience in Job 38. Just as Job had to navigate his suffering without the explanations he sought, I learned to embrace my own season of asking, “Why?” When I valued the words of God over agreeing with the words of others, I found a deeper connection with God, much like Job did when he finally engaged directly with him, rather than relying on the flawed interpretations of his friends.