Troubles - Reading Job

It seems as though we turn to the book of Job in our times of trouble, when we feel picked on and punished unjustly. We all feel as like we can relate to Job in some way so it’s easy to identify with him when life’s challenges come our way. I have to confess I have been reading Job lately and I have learned two very surprising things.
First of all, exciting revelation number one, Job’s friends weren’t completely wrong. Does this sound familiar? God rewards those who follow his law and punish those who disobey. It’s the basic message of Proverbs and is the theology espoused by Job’s three friends. They believed Job had sinned and deserved the punishment he was being subject to. So why was God harsh with them and required a triple sacrifice to wipe away their sin? They assumed that God always had to act in a certain way and forgot to factor in his complete sovereignty over life on this earth.
Secondly, exciting revelation number two, Job was sinful, yep filled with sin. I know we consider Job to be righteous and unjustly punished but Job’s last words in the book are “But now my eyes see you, therefore I abhor myself and repent in dust and ashes.” Job’s sin was pride. He believed himself to be righteous and with his pride came the false belief that he knew what God should be doing. When he realized the scope of God’s sovereignty he recognized his sin and repented.
So in light of these two revelations concerning Job what have I learned? I learned about God, about who he is and what he wants for me. I learned we can’t even imagine what he can do and what his plans are. Job is at its core about God and about how much he wants us to be ready to be with him. He will do anything, and as the book of Job makes very plain, he can.