The story of Job is not about God rescuing him from tragic circumstances. Tough as it may be to deal with, God authorized those awful circumstances. Job is not about ease of situation or salvation from setting. It is about the opportunity for humanity to make choices. Most particularly, choices about who to trust and how to choose a true perspective.
The circumstances we can see are the arena in which these choices play out. However, as we learn from Job there are also many circumstances we do not see. Angels are watching to see what we decide. We are allowed to see this in Job’s story. Job had to decide who to trust and what perspective to choose even without knowing what he could not see.
We have all encountered difficulty and can resonate with confusion and pain. Difficult choices in the face of hard circumstances hits close to home. Like Job, we must choose before all is known. And we cannot wait around for the arena to change. The choice must be made now, today.
The circumstance of today is the setting, the people we interact with are the players. What remains are the choices before us. Our choices determine who we become. Our essence is intertwined with knowing and being known, and that takes place through daily decisions. Job shows us that choices rooted in faith create a lasting benefit not available in any other way or any other time. It is a benefit that befuddles angels and shakes the cosmos. It is a benefit we can secure when we live life above the circumstances.