Arguing With God

And the LORD said to Job: “Shall a faultfinder contend with the Almighty? He who argues with God, let him answer it.”
Job 40:1–2
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Arguing With God
For many of us, it can be quite difficult to take orders. Especially when the person giving them seem to us to be inept or unqualified. We know better, we tell ourselves. If only I was in charge all these problems would not be happening. Our sinful natures lead us to constantly question authority.  God finished speaking to Job by asking him the simple question, “Shall a faultfinder contend with the Almighty?” Job wants his day in court to argue his case before God. He feels God has unjustly allowed calamity to befall him and Job feels that He can justify himself.  This is the same thing we do when we are faced with our own shortcomings and failures. We want to argue with God as if we somehow are superior in understanding than He is. The problem is that we want to justify ourselves. We believe ourselves innocent, or at least not as guilty as God thinks we are. But we can never justify ourselves. God’s Word clearly tells us this, “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9). It is God alone who redeems us, because there is no fault in Him. His Son was sent to reconcile us to Himself because we could never accomplish this on our own.  God does not hear our arguments because the trial is already over. We have been cleared, we are not guilty and freed. Not on our account but on the account of the blood of Christ. And when we realize this we have no answer except to pray, praise, and give thanks for all of God’s wondrous gifts.