How can Job 21:15 help us respond to those questioning God's relevance today? Job 21:15—A Timeless Challenge “ ‘What is the Almighty, that we should serve Him? And what would we gain if we pray to Him?’ ” Why the Verse Still Speaks • Job is quoting the attitude of the wicked, yet his citation exposes a heart‐level protest many still raise: “Why bother with God? What’s in it for me?” • The verse distills two doubts common today: – Does God really matter? (“What is the Almighty…?”) – Does relating to Him make any practical difference? (“What would we gain…?”) Key Truth #1 — God’s Worth Is Inherent, Not Transactional • Scripture never treats God as a cosmic vending machine. He is “the LORD, and there is no other” (Isaiah 45:5). • Our service flows from His nature—holy, sovereign, loving—not from negotiated benefits. • Jesus asks the profit question from the opposite angle: “What will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul?” (Matthew 16:26). Key Truth #2 — Service to God Answers Identity and Purpose • In Him “we live and move and have our being” (Acts 17:28). Life disconnected from the Creator inevitably feels rootless. • Serving God aligns us with our created purpose (Ephesians 2:10). Fulfillment follows function, not the other way around. Key Truth #3 — Prayer Connects Us to Ultimate Reality • “Without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who approaches Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him” (Hebrews 11:6). • Prayer is not a productivity hack; it is relationship. It brings God’s presence, wisdom, and peace into real time (Philippians 4:6–7). • The wicked in Job’s day saw no gain because they measured only temporal outcomes (Job 21:13). An eternal perspective reverses the math (2 Corinthians 4:18). Practical Ways to Answer Today’s Skeptic • Affirm the questioner’s desire for meaning; show that Scripture takes the same question seriously. • Point to God’s intrinsic worth: His character, cross, and resurrection display value beyond consumer calculation. • Share personal testimony of purpose and peace found in serving Christ—evidence skeptics can observe even if they doubt. • Reframe “gain”: highlight eternal life, transformed character, and community, rather than mere material perks. • Invite them to experience prayer, not just analyze it—“Taste and see that the LORD is good” (Psalm 34:8). Supporting Passages for Further Reflection • Psalm 14:1; Malachi 3:14; 1 Corinthians 15:19; Revelation 4:11 |
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