Something about reading Job is both hard – and comforting. He goes through so much – and despite wailing about much of his situation, Job continues to rail at his situations – not at God.

I find many of Job’s rhetorical questions to be particularly helpful in my life when things go wrong. He looks at the world around him and notices the non-human elements of this world aren’t arguing with God over the rightness or wrongness of what God chooses to do. It’s only us that are constantly questioning and disagreeing with the Lord!

But ask the animals, and they will teach you, or the birds in the sky, and they will tell you; or speak to the earth, and it will teach you, or let the fish in the sea inform you. Which of all these does not know that the hand of the Lord has done this? In his hand is the life of every creature
and the breath of all mankind. Job 12:7-10

While I took the opportunity to draw “wild” animals, I see this enacted through my pets all the time. I have 2 dogs who don’t ask “why” at all – they might ask “if” we get to go to the park, but never why their mama chooses one park or the other today. They get excited when it’s time to go for a walk, but they don’t sit there tapping their paws and staring at me to demand to know when that walk will happen. No, my dogs live in the moment, they trust me, and even when they’re unhappy to be left at home when I go out, that’s instantly forgotten when I return. My pets declare mama’s sovereignty over their lives by just trusting me to care for them and accepting my decisions about which park to go to, when it’s time to eat, and who gets to go for a car ride and when. Oh to be so trusting!

Job constantly declares God’s sovereignty as recognized by creation even if not by us – perhaps speaking to his own human soul that wanted to question the Lord’s sense of justice. As humans, sometimes we have to declare the truth of Who God is out loud, calling on our soul to join in and praise Him:

“To God belong wisdom and power;
counsel and understanding are His. Job 12:13

Am I the only one who learns lessons from her pets? What have yours taught you?