That God speaks transforms tragedy.
Tragedy makes life difficult for us: the loss, the grief, the frustration all take a toll. Perhaps the most difficult part is the seeming pointlessness. Add in our loneliness, not only isolation from others, but also from God, and our burdens seem unbearable.
One thing I’ve learned in reading the book of Job: at the moment we least expect it, God does something deeply personal for us: he speaks. After he loses almost everything, then slogs through anger, terror, rejection, and grief, Job’s last “friend” ridicules his need to face God. Sure God speaks in dreams, in suffering (!), and through preservation from death (chapter 33), but Elihu rules out a personal encounter. God’s might in creation makes Job’s plea for a 1:1 audience out of the question. Because “the splendor about God is awesome,” Elihu concludes, “Shaddai–we cannot attain to him” (chapter 37). “Quityurbellyachin'” might serve as an approximate translation.
Surprise! “The the Lord replied to Job out of the tempest,” says the text very soon after (chapter 38). The Lord takes Job seriously. The Lord responds to Job’s need. the Lord speaks!
I don’t know your plight, how long you’ve waited for relief, or how intent you are to have God speak to you. His response to Job gives me hope. I hope it also does the same for you.
