I broke the jaws of the wicked
And rescued the prey from his teeth.
Then I thought, ‘I will die with my family,
And I will multiply my days as the sand.
My root is spread out to the waters,
And dew lies on my branch all night.
My glory is ever new with me,
And my bow is renewed in my hand.’ (vv. 17-20)

In this chapter, Job reveals what has been on his mind. Here, we understand why God has sent disasters into his life. Job is not arrogant but delusional.

To me they listened and waited,
And they kept silent for my advice.
After my words they did not speak again,
And my speech dropped on them.
They waited for me as for the rain,
And opened their mouths as for the late rain.
I smiled at them when they did not believe,
And they did not look at my kindness ungraciously.
I chose a way for them and sat as chief,
And lived as a king among the troops,
As one who comforted the mourners. (vv. 21-25)

Every day, we must look at ourselves in the mirror and see our true selves, not just superficially but in the light of God’s words. It’s easy to think that the world revolves around us, but God’s words act as a mirror, humbling us and bringing us back to reality. In God’s kingdom, there is no ‘I’, ‘me’, ‘my’, or ‘mine’. Anything good within us is not our own, but from God. We have no love within ourselves; it is only through God’s grace that we can love. Envy arises when we compare ourselves to others, but everything we have and enjoy in life is not the result of our efforts.

Job’s story reflects the arrogance of the first human, Adam, who contrasts starkly with Jesus Christ.

I have revealed Your name to the men whom You gave Me out of the world; they were Yours and You gave them to Me, and they have followed Your word. Now they have come to know that everything which You have given Me is from You; for the words which You gave Me I have given to them; and they received them and truly understood that I came forth from You, and they believed that You sent Me. I ask on their behalf; I do not ask on behalf of the world, but on the behalf of those whom You have given Me, because they are Yours; and all things that are Mine are Yours, and Yours are Mine; and I have been glorified in them. (John 17:6-10)

Our Lord is also contrasted with the queen in Revelation 18:7:

To the extent that she glorified herself and lived luxuriously, to the same extent give her torment and mourning; for she says in her heart, ‘I sit as a queen and I am not a widow, and will never see mourning.’

He is also contrasted with the king of Tyre.

Son of man, say to the leader of Tyre, ‘The Lord GOD says this: “Because your heart is haughty And you have said, ‘I am a god, I sit in the seat of gods In the heart of the seas’; Yet you are a mortal and not God, Although you make your heart like the heart of God— (Ezekiel 28:2)

The king of Tyre in Ezekiel 27 and 28 is often interpreted as the devil. Without knowing God through the Holy Spirit and His Word, we are all destined to deny Him and exalt ourselves. We act as if we are God and eventually come to believe that we are the Creator. We craft our own idols—this has been humanity’s unceasing pursuit. The Renaissance was a movement that exalted human greatness. Interestingly, the second Reformation took place during the Renaissance period.

If your life appears better than others’, take a moment to reflect on where you truly are and what you truly look like through God’s words and prayer. If suffering comes, pray for the strength to endure through God’s power. Every suffering in this life is a lesson for the saints.

Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal among you, which comes upon you for your testing, as though something strange were happening to you; but to the degree that you share the sufferings of Christ, keep on rejoicing, so that at the revelation of His glory you may also rejoice and be overjoyed. If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory, and of God, rests upon you. Make sure that none of you suffers as a murderer, or thief, or evildoer, or a troublesome meddler; but if anyone suffers as a Christian, he is not to be ashamed, but is to glorify God in this name. (1 Peter 4:12-16)