阅读经文 

约伯记这卷书探讨人和神的关系。对神忠心的约伯经历了一连串艰难的试炼。他失去了他所有的儿女、所有的牲口和他的产业，他更失去了他的健康。然而他始终都没有停止信靠神。（参伯 1-3）

约伯的朋友一起来看他，他们不但没有安慰他，反而说他一定是犯了大罪，不然这一切困扰是不会凭空发生的。但是他们错了，他们的言语造成的伤害大过所带来的益处。约伯不明白这些灾难为什么会发生，他终于呼求神给他一个答案。（参伯 4-31）

另一个朋友也起来说话，他智慧地提供了一些关于这位创造万物的全能神的看法。我们不可能明白神做事的方式，因为神和我们有天壤之别。然而神看顾我们，也教导我们认识智慧，祂是公义和正直的。（参伯 32-37）

随后，神自己说话了，（参伯 38-41）祂问约伯是否知道这个世界是怎样造成的、谁为海水安定界限、以及自然界的力量如何运作来供应食物和水源给所有的活物。

约伯当然不晓得这些事——我们也一样不晓得。然而神是良善的，我们的生命都在祂手里。神容许风暴和困扰临到我们，很多时候并非因为我们做错了事。但神仍然会带领我们经历这些困扰并最终医治我们，我们可以相信，在神里面我们的将来必定是稳妥的。

The book of Job explores the relationship between humans and God. Job, who is faithful to God, goes through a difficult series of tests. He loses all his children, all his livestock, and his livelihood. He also loses his health. But he never stops trusting God (Job 1-3).

Job’s friends come around, and instead of consoling him, they say he must have done some terrible wrong, or all this trouble would not have happened. But they are mistaken, and their words do more harm than good. Job wonders why all this calamity is happening. And eventually he calls on God to answer him (Job 4-31).

Another friend speaks up and offers wise insights about the all-powerful God, who has created all things. We cannot understand all of God’s ways because God is so different from us. Yet God cares for us, teaches us wisdom, and is righteous and just (Job 32-37).

Then God himself speaks (Job 38-41), asking Job if he knows how the earth was made, who gave the sea its limits, and how the forces of nature work to bring food and water for all living things.

Of course, Job does not know these things—and neither do we know all things. But God is good, and our lives are in his hands. God allows storms and trouble to come our way, and often we are not at fault. But God can also bring us through and heal us. We can trust that in God our future is secure.