Romans 11:³³ O the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!

This verse from Paul’s letter to the Romans jumped out at me this morning, particularly since we are reading the Old Testament book of Job at the same time we’re reading Romans. Job is such a brilliant and disturbing book because it challenges the cause-effect relationship between God and people. When people do what’s right, good things are supposed to happen to them. Conversely when people do wrong, bad things are supposed to happen to them. It’s a logic that makes sense. It’s the first covenant in a nutshell.

But the story of Job disrupts this logic because Job, a righteous man, suffers terribly. What gives God? How is that supposed to make sense? Answer: it doesn’t make sense – nor does it have to.

“How unsearchable are (God’s) judgments and how inscrutable his ways!”

Gods ways are not our ways. In the place of logical understanding I am called to trust God, to have faith in the Lord when my reality doesn’t line up with my understanding of the way things are supposed to be. Lord help me because this is a tough one. Amen.