What He Desires, That He Does

“But he is unchangeable, and who can turn him back?

What he desires, that he does.

For he will complete what he appoints for me,

and many such things are in his mind.”

Job 23:13-14

A rewording of that beloved Philippians promise: “he will complete what he appoints for me.” I typically think about Philippians 1:6 in a happy, positive light: Yay! God *will* finish the process of making me more like Jesus—He *will* rescue and redeem and save and keep me to the end.

But this verse from Job—maybe simply because it’s in Job?—has a different feel, a different tone. Yes, God will complete this good work He has begun in me—but I am not always going to like what that process looks like. It’s going to hurt sometimes.

Everything that comes into my life has been appointed. No accidents, no surprises to Him, no random chance or coincidence or “plan B.” What He desires gets done. Full stop.

“Many such things are in his mind,” far beyond my understanding. But in His mercy and kindness He has plainly revealed the driving purpose. He doesn’t always let me in on the whys and wherefores of the journey, but He has explained and defined the destination, crystal clear.

Do we realize He didn’t have to do that?

Because of the gospel, when the journey is dark and confusing and hard and hurts—when, as Ginny Owens sings in an old favorite song from college, “The pathway is broken / And the signs are unclear / And I don’t know the reason / Why You brought me here” –I can trust that these painful means are means to a GOOD end. His desire is to conform me to the image of His Son, to maximize my joy in Him. And “What He desires, that He does”! The death of Jesus secured my inheritance, secured the final outcome, ensured that all of the promises are YES.

I don’t know or understand the “many such things [that] are in his mind” concerning my life. I don’t always understand why He desires or appoints what He does. But I do know that what He desires is good and holy and beautiful. And I rest in the promise that He will complete it.

On Suffering and Asking Why

As I read through the Old Testament, I'm also reading through Mark Dever's immensely helpful book The Message of the Old Testament: Promises Made. He has written a chapter (adapted from a sermon) on each book of the Bible, providing a bird's-eye view of the main themes and how they all fit together.

His explanation of the book of Job emphasizes three simple truths: "We often suffer. We sometimes understand. We can always trust." I found the following two quotes especially insightful. When we suffer, we always want to understand why. But is that really best, let alone possible? Dever writes:

"Demanding that suffering have a reason and meaning that fits within the narrow scope of our human understanding prejudices the explanation that can be given. As humans, we must see that, given our limited understanding, there are only a few types of solutions that are available to us. When we fail to recognize our limitations, it's like deciding that because our own car radio is not picking up any radio broadcasts, then there must be no radio stations sending out a broadcast anywhere. But why assume that? Is that the only possible explanation? And why assume that we must understand what God intends through suffering?" 

[snip] 

"At times, God does graciously allow us to see how He has used a difficult situation for our good. And surely we should thank Him for the consolation such moments of understanding afford. But there is danger in assuming that He must give us such understanding. What will follow is a counterfeit trust, a trust in our own abilities to figure out all of God's purposes within any particular trial, rather than a trust in God and in His character as He has finally revealed it in Jesus Christ on the cross. A counterfeit trust in God might work for some things, but it will not finally work. The only one who is worthy of our trust is not ourselves; nor is it our own clever ability to figure out life's knotty questions; it is God Himself." 

--Mark Dever, "Job: Wisdom for Losers," The Message of the Old Testament: Promises Kept, p. 474/478