Jun 10 2021 Day 118 Job 22:1–31:40

[A]n upright person could reason with him, and I should be acquitted forever by my judge. . . But he stands alone and who can dissuade him? What he desires, that he does.

Job continues to respond to his friends’ thoughts about Job’s trials. You’re being mistreated because you sinned. Because God isn’t listening. Because you haven’t prayed enough. Job responds with his faith-filled responses. Here he’s explaining that if things were like his friends were describing, then an upright person could just reason with God, and all would be well. Unfortunately he continues that God stands alone and no one can reason or dissuade him. What God desires, God does.

But isn’t that why we pray? Didn’t Moses convince God not to destroy the Israelites? Although it’s really tough for me to get my head around, I think both ideas are true, even though they are seemingly mutually exclusive. Yes, God cannot be reasoned with. God cannot be bargained with. What God desires, God does. And yes, prayer matters. God listens, and God changes their mind. (Note: I’m not feeling feminist when I refer to God as they/their. But neither do I think God is male. Given the fact that as Christians we believe in the Trinity, I think it’s perfectly reasonable to describe God as they/their, regardless of whether that’s because I like the gender-neutral pronoun, or because it’s reflective of the plural nature of God.)

So if prayer matters, if good doesn’t result from my prayer, does that mean I haven’t prayed hard enough, God wasn’t listening, or God wants to punish me? I don’t believe any of that. I guess I believe that God has a master plan that affects me and everyone around me. Given that pesky free-will, sometimes we mess up that plan, because we behave in ways unanticipated by God. Plans change to reflect and accommodate changes in our world.

Also, God appreciates our connecting with God about things in our world. God knows implicitly what’s in my heart, but God also wants me to explicitly talk to God about it. My conversations, or prayer, can affect God’s plans, as God sees fit. What God desires, God does. Sometimes, what God desires aligns with what I think is right, and other times, God has other plans. In those instances, I don’t get the benefit of knowing what God’s plans entail.

This morning, I’m thinking about that tension between believing God does what God desires, and believing that both prayer matters and God is good. If I pray for a particular outcome, and it doesn’t turn out that way, I believe God’s ultimate plan will be better than whatever I could have conceived, even if I cannot see that outcome now.