God Cares and Listens

Trying to understand why he was suffering, Job concluded that God did not care about him. He seemed to feel that God wasn’t listening. But when comparing Job’s comments with God’s responses, we realize that God responded specifically to many of Job’s specific comments. He proved He was listening.

While Job wished that he had not been born, God described His involvement in the birth process of all His creation (Job 39:1-4). Job described how everything felt dark to him, asking, “Why is light given to those in misery?” (Job 3:20). God responded, focusing on the importance of light, and how the role of darkness was restrained (Job 38:9-19).

Job described how he felt hedged in and limited (Job 3:23). But God acknowledged the limits that have been given to all people: “When I fixed limits for it and set its doors and bars in place, when I said, ‘This far you may come and no farther'” (Job 38:10-11).

In his complaints, Job commented about the stars of the morning (Job 3:9). God later described how “the morning stars sang together?” (Job 38:6-7). Job referred to animals, birds, and fish (Job 6:5-6), and several of God’s responses addressed His creatures (Job 12:7-10; Job 38:31-33). After Job raised the issue of the Leviathan (Job 3:8), God specifically commented about this creature (Job 41).

Yes, it can seem that sometimes God doesn’t respond as quickly as we’d like. Sometimes it seems that He isn’t listening. But the story of Job reminds us that He does listen. And that He really cares.

In your life, remember that God cares about you. He loves you, and knows what you are going through. And He is listening.