A big part of Job’s problem, and a big contributor to his struggle with God, was that Job didn’t really get the big picture. I know, kind of an understatement, huh?

From reading the beginning of the book, we know that Job didn’t know the “rest of the story” happening “behind the scenes.” From the end of the book, we know he didn’t really understand who he was addressing when he demanded a one-on-one, face-to-face debate with the Creator. And as I read this morning in Job 14, I notice something else Job didn’t quite get which, if he had, might have made a difference in how he set about processing his loss, grief, and suffering. He didn’t get the length of his life.

When a person dies, will he come back to life?
If so, I would wait all the days of my struggle until my relief comes.

(Job 14:14 CSB)

When a person dies, will he come back to life? Good question, Job. A really important question. Jesus answers that question in one of my other readings this morning.

“I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in Me, even if he dies, will live. Everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die. Do you believe this?”

(John 11:25-26 CSB)

Not to minimize nor diminish the magnitude of Job’s suffering in any way, but it makes a difference if, when a person dies, he does in fact come back to life. If all the time Job had to “live life to the fullest” was whatever time God had determined for him to inhabitant space on earth, then how much more devastating is the loss, and all the time dealing with the memory of the loss of everything you once held so dear? Pretty devastating. Pretty hopeless (Job 6:11). Perhaps so much so that you might think it better you were never born (Job 3).

But this life isn’t all of life. Any time, while here on earth, consumed by unfulfilled dreams, or unrealized opportunity, or unfair suffering is time to be factored not against this life only, but all of life — the resurrected, eternal life. When doing the math of time experiencing loss vs. the total time alive, the denominator, the number below the line, isn’t how many years are marked on our gravestone but whatever number you want to imagine conveys “forever.” In comparison to the life yet to be lived, this life really is but the blink of an eye. Thus, the losses of this life occupy but only a fraction of the blink of an eye.

Again, not to minimize, not to diminish the harsh realities of our trials and sufferings. Only by God’s grace, God’s power, and God’s faithfulness do we get through them. But with an eye to eternity, we can say with Job, if a person does come back to life, I would wait all the days of my struggle until my relief comes.

Sometimes we need to be reminded of the big picture. That those who believe will forever be. That now is less about winning and more about running the race. That now isn’t measured by what we gain here on earth but by how much treasure we’re storing up in heaven.

We will come back to life. We will never die. For Jesus really is the resurrection and the life.

Job asks. Jesus answers.

Jesus then has a question for me.

“Do you believe this?”

Yes, Lord, I believe!

By Your grace. For Your glory.