How do you talk to God when you’re suffering?
On the surface, the book of Job appears to be a dialogue between Job and his three friends. But read Job’s speeches carefully, and you will notice that he oscillates between responding to his friends and praying to God. Those prayers reveal his deep anguish and hurt, his confusion about why this is happening, his determination to stay loyal to God, and ultimately his willingness to humble himself and submit to God’s will.
In the Book of Mormon, Enos writes, “I will tell you of the wrestle which I had before God” (Enos 1:2). We later read that “Alma labored much in the spirit, wrestling with God in mighty prayer” (Alma 8:10). Job’s prayers sound like a wrestle, as he expresses raw emotions and struggles with conflicting thoughts. At the end of the book, after God speaks to him, Job acknowledges his imperfection. “I am vile,” he concedes; “what shall I answer thee? I will lay mine hand upon my mouth” (Job 40:4). But before that, he expresses thoughts and feelings candidly, sometimes even harshly, but with a sincere desire to understand. Here are some examples of phrases and sentences from his prayers:
- “I have sinned; what shall I do unto thee, O thou preserver of men? why hast thou set me as a mark against thee, so that I am a burden to myself?” (Job 7:20). He acknowledges his own failings but doesn’t understand how to make things right.
- “If I wash myself with snow water, and make my hands never so clean; yet shalt thou plunge me in the ditch, and mine own clothes shall abhor me” (Job 9:30-31). He worries that even his best efforts will not be enough.
- “Remember, I beseech thee, that thou hast made me as the clay; and wilt thou bring me into dust again?” (Job 10:9). He appeals to God as his Creator, asking Him to have mercy on his creation.
- “How many are mine iniquities and sins? make me to know my transgression and my sin. Wherefore hidest thou thy face, and holdest me for thine enemy?” (Job 13:23-24). Job is genuinely unsure what he has done wrong and wants God to help him understand.
- “Lay down now, put me in a surety with thee; who is he that will strike hands with me?” (Job 17:3). Job wants God to make a pledge or a guarantee (a “surety”) that all will end as it should. He acknowledges that no one else can provide the guarantee he seeks.
- “I cry unto thee, and thou dost not hear me: I stand up, and thou regardest me not. Thou art become cruel to me: with thy strong hand thou opposest thyself against me” (Job 30:20-21). Scathing words from a man who feels ignored and persecuted.
Job has by now expressed a range of emotions, including bewilderment, self-consciousness, anxiety, and anger. He has asked for understanding, pleaded for assurance, and complained about God’s unresponsiveness. But as we saw earlier, when God speaks to him, Job answers humbly. The wrestle is over, and he has found the God he sought. Covering his hand with his mouth might indicate regret for some of the things he said. Anyway, he doesn’t feel the need to pray for more: “Once have I spoken; but I will not answer: yea, twice; but I will proceed no further” (Job 40:5). Shortly after, he stands in God’s presence and experiences what Jacob would later call “a perfect knowledge of … guilt, … uncleanness, and … nakedness” (2 Nephi 9:14). He says, “I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear: but now mine eye seeth thee. Wherefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes” (Job 42:5-6).
But his story isn’t over. When he turns outward and prays for his friends, God turns away his captivity and gives him more than he had before (Job 42:10).
What a wrestle! We don’t have to mirror every expression of Job to emulate his sincerity and desire. We all have things we wonder about. We all experience injustices and adversity. We all sometimes feel abandoned or even betrayed. Job teaches us to be open about those experiences, not to hide or suppress them. After all, as Job testified to God, “I know that thou canst do every thing, and that no thought can be withholden from thee” (Job 42:2).
Today, I will pray openly, sincerely, and candidly. I will wrestle with myself before God, and I will humbly follow His guidance when the wrestle has ended.
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