The story of Job shows us that we are foolish if we are trying to find a formula for getting God to bless us in our story, but we are wise if we submit to God’s story and accept his rule and reign as the Creator of all and Master over all. Job’s friends had a very simple formula that went something like this: Doing good stuff = getting God’s blessing, sinning = getting God’s curse. As their thinking went, Job was clearly under God’s curse, so he must have sinned. So, if Job simply admits his sin and gets back to doing good stuff, then he’ll get blessed again. To this, God says, “I am angry with you and your two friends, because you have not spoken the truth about me” (42:7). In contrast to this foolishness, Job proves wise when he humbles himself and agrees that God can do all things and that his purposes will not be thwarted. In other words, he confesses that the story isn’t about him. This is God’s story, and creation proves it.
