God has got this.

Who among all these does not know

that the hand of the LORD has done this?

In his hand is the life of every living thing

and the breath of all mankind.

Job 12:9-10

These words from Job come from exceptionally pain-filled days of suffering. He lost his family, His wealth, and his health. Yet he finds strength and comfort in the sovereign work of God. Although Job’s friends gather around him, blaming Job’s own sin for his difficult days, their simple yet flawed theology does not distract Job from the mysterious truth of God’s sovereign care. He chooses to embrace the outrageousness of believing that God is good when life is hard.

The control of God’s sovereign care is total in Job’s theology. In the two verses previous to this question (Job 12:7-8), Job points to all the natural world which has an order and symmetry perfectly designed by a wise God. He cares for all living things. Surely God knows what He is doing in the lives of people! In His hand is the life of every living thing.

God takes care of us in wisdom and for His own purposes. Job is convinced of this as he considers how God controls the world: “With God are wisdom and might; he has counsel and understanding” (Job 12:13). And when God does it, nothing we can do will change it... “If he tears down, none can rebuild; if he shuts a man in, none can open” (Job 12:14).

I believe Job’s God is still well in control of all the circumstances of this world. He cares for us today and all the various moving parts of the corona crisis worldwide are under His direct wisdom, knowledge, and control. I believe this even as life is hard right now with no quick fix in sight. I trust this is true even if parts of the world are torn down. I believe God even as I feel shut in. God has got my whole life and this whole thing we are going through right now in His hand.

As a Christian, I look to the greatest act of God’s love... my redemption in Christ. God brought the greatest good for the world for all time, salvation in Jesus Christ, through the worst event ever to happen in this world, the rejection and death of the Son of God. And He turned it all to good by the resurrection of Jesus accomplishing the defeat of sin and death forever! The gospel convinces me God is in control.