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In Job 38–39, God begins to answer Job’s questions by pointing to His sovereignty. God challenges Job, saying:

“Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth?” (Job 38:4).

In essence, God is asking, “Who am I to answer to you?” This is not meant to distance God from humanity as an uncaring despot. But rather it is a reminder to us that our answers in life are for ever connected to God’s ultimate control and man’s need to submit to Him.

When we search for answers during trials, we must avoid approaching God with an accusatory tone.

Similarly, a lesson to be gleaned from the book: When we approach to give counsel to those in pain we should avoid coming with assumed guilt and accusations.

Instead, we should start by acknowledging that God is sovereign and that our comfort is found in humble submission to Him. Job initially asked, “Who are we that God is mindful of us?” (Job 7:17). He asked this out of frustration, feeling pursued by God through his trials. King David asked a similar question in Psalm 8:4, but with a very different tone—one of awe and amazement that the Creator of the universe would care for him. As hard as it is during trial, David’s perspective is the one we must chase to embrace.

Both questions lead us to the same truth: God is mindful of us in times of blessing and difficulty—and that’s always a good thing. While we may not always understand the reason for our struggles, whether they serve to demonstrate God’s power, trustworthiness, or love, we can rest in one unchanging truth—God has His reasons, and His reasons are good.

This is where we must anchor ourselves in the storms of life. Rather than demanding answers, we should trust in the God who laid the foundation of the earth, who governs all creation, and who cares for us deeply. That trust is where we find peace, even when the reasons remain a mystery.