God is at Work in our Lives

5th Sunday B
1st Reading: Job 7:1-7

God is at Work in our Lives

Is not man's life on earth a drudgery? Are not his days those of a hireling? He is a slave who longs for the shade, a hireling who waits for his wages (Job 7:1-2).

The only survivor of a shipwreck was washed up on a small, uninhabited island. He prayed feverishly for God to rescue him, and every day he scanned the horizon for help, but none seemed forthcoming. Exhausted, he eventually managed to build a little hut out of driftwood to protect him from the elements and in which to store his few possessions. But then one day, after scavenging for food, he arrived home to find his little hut in flames, the smoke rolling up to the sky. The worst had happened; everything was lost. He was stunned with grief and anger. "God, how could you do this to me!" he cried. Early the next day, however, he was awakened by the sound of a ship that was approaching the island. It had come to rescue him. The weary man asked his rescuers: "How did you know I was here?" They replied: "We saw your smoke signal."

It is easy to get discouraged when things are going bad. Job's life was full of trouble and he was discouraged with this. He was a faithful Jew but he lost his family and his livestock, he was smitten with severe boils, and his allegiance to God was questioned by his friends. From his condition he thought he has reason to desire death. He compared himself to a slave or hireling. "He is a slave who longs for the shade, a hireling who waits for his wages" (v.2). For the laboring man, repose is sweet, so he desires it. For the hireling, wage gives satisfaction, so he looks forward to it. Job desired death for himself because to terminate his life means to terminate his miseries.

Be that as it may, this should not be taken out of context so as to surmise Job was meditating to commit suicide. It was only in such language that he expressed his present uneasiness with his predicament. He wanted to gain some relief from pain of the body and anguish of the mind. Job's plea implied two important points. First, it indicated human's weakness and inferiority. Job represented himself to God and asked for consideration because he was a very weak and frail creature. He begged Him to either ease his situation or end his life.

Secondly, it indicated God's mercy. Job recommended himself to God as an object of His pity and compassion. One thing to admire about Job is he remained faithful to God in spite of his adversities in life. He believed that if people can't hear him, God will; if they can't help him, God will. Thus, he turned to God and spoke with him. When our life is in trouble we shouldn't lose heart, because God is at work in our lives, even in the midst of pains and sufferings.

When we are in the point of asking, "God, how can you do this to me?" we can find the answer in prayer. Like Job we need to turn to God and speak to Him. Let us recommend ourselves to God for His mercy and compassion. We may not understand what's happening to us right now, but let us believe God knows what is best for us. Helen Steiner Rice once said, "Whenever we are troubled, and when everything goes wrong, it is just God working in us to make our spirits strong."

- Fr. Nony