All Job really wanted was to go back. To go back to the good old days. Back to the “then” before now.

Back to when his children were all around him (Job 29:5). Back to when “everything was going my way, and nothing seemed too difficult” (Job 29:6 MSG), when “my steps were washed with butter” (ESV). The days when he commanded respect from all those he encountered (Job 29:7-10) — and not because he demanded it, but because he deserved it (Job 29:12-13, 15-17). The days when his righteousness and his pursuit of justice were evident and counted for something (Job 29:14).

Yeah, all Job wanted was to go back to those days when God was watching over him.

And Job again took up his discourse, and said:

“Oh, that I were as in the months of old,
     as in the days when God watched over me,
when His lamp shone upon my head,
     and by His light I walked through darkness,
as I was in my prime,
     when the friendship of God was upon my tent,
when the Almighty was yet with me.

(Job 29:1-5a ESV)

The days when God watched over me . . . That’s what I’m chewing on this morning.

When God watched . . . Literally, when He kept, guarded, gave heed, and observed. The days when God knew what was going on and engaged with what was going on. And for Job, God’s watch was known by the ease and joy and blessings Job experienced along life’s way. For Job, God was being God when he was the God of the good life.

But we know what’s going on behind the curtain (Job 1:1-2:10). Talk about engaged! God’s engaged! Boasting before heaven about His servant Job — the Creator confident of Job’s character. Butting heads with Satan (if that’s even an appropriate word picture to use) about the depths of His servant’s fidelity — the sovereign Advocate allowing the enemy to mess with Job’s life this much and yet not a hair more. Oh, God’s watching.

But Job’s not picking up that heaven is looking down. So much loss, so much sorrow, so much suffering. These days feel nothing like the months of old when God watched. If this was the friendship of God, then what a painful friendship it was. Job longed to experience again the God of the good life.

I’m not faulting Job. Not looking down my nose thinking, “How could he?” Nope. I think I get it . . . at least to some degree.

But what God wants Job to know, and what He reminds me of this morning, is that it’s not about seeing God only in the good life but about knowing the good God in all of life. When, by faith, we know He’s near even when we can’t feel Him. When we trust that all things are under His control even though they are so obviously out of control. When we find a peace that passes understanding because we believe His promise that all things (yes, all things) really are working together for good — at the very least (which is the absolute most), the good of being conformed into the likeness of our risen Redeemer. When after the fire, we look over our shoulder and know afresh that He has been faithful.

The God of the good life. Good because it is life lived trusting in a God who is good.

Only by His grace. Always for His glory.

—

All my life You have been faithful
All my life You have been so, so good
With every breath that I am able
Oh, I will sing of the goodness of God.

(Have a couple of extra minutes? Click here to enjoy the Isaac’s version of the song.)