Job 42:10 And the LORD restored the fortunes of Job when he had prayed for his friends; and the LORD gave Job twice as much as he had before. 11 Then there came to him all his brothers and sisters and all who had known him before, and they ate bread with him in his house; they showed him sympathy and comforted him for all the evil that the LORD had brought upon him; and each of them gave him a piece of money and a gold ring. 12 The LORD blessed the latter days of Job more than his beginning…

At the beginning of the story Satan is given the green light to inflict tragedy on Job. Satan wanted to demonstrate how a righteous man (Job) would turn his back on God if his fortunes turned to curses. God believed Job would remain faithful, which he did. Sort of. Anyway, the way the story is set up God has a passive role. Satan is the instigator of tragedy, not God. But then there’s “the evil that the Lord brought upon (Job)”.

God’s passive role becomes active. 

For some reason that matters to me. I find it more palatable for God to be on the sidelines watching Satan than for God to be the inflictor of pain. Why is that a big deal? I don’t know. I just know it bothered me when I read it this morning. I suppose the notion of God inflicting pain disturbs the way I envision the character of God. Lord, help me to understand you more. Amen.