Literacy International - When God's Creatures Laugh - Part 10 of 12

Jul 17, 2026

Upload by Oliver

A faith-focused message based on Job 39–42 explores why suffering falls on people who appear good, challenging readers to trust God’s faithfulness through both hard and good times. Job endures the loss of family and possessions and is afflicted with painful sores while friends misinterpret his trials as punishments for hidden sins. When God finally speaks, He answers with a question and deepens Job’s trust by highlighting the wisdom and care behind wild creatures, from donkeys to lions, culminating in restoration and renewed relationship with God.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryReligion & Spirituality

FormatPDF

Pages11

Reading Time28 min

Job’s Question and Trust

Trials and Misunderstanding

God’s Answer Through Creation

Creatures as Lessons

Wild Donkey, Ostrich, War-Horse

Leviathan, Lions, Eagles, Behemoth

Job’s Response and Restoration

Prayer for Friends

Blessing and Renewed Relationship

Literacy International: When God's Creatures Laugh Copyright © 2018 Literacy International [info@LiteracyInternational.net](info@LiteracyInternational.net) English Spiritual Literacy International: When God's Creatures Laugh Part 10 of 12 in a series about Creation "Praise the Lord, You Wild Animals and all Cattle, Small Creatures and flying Birds!" -Psalm 148:7, 10 Copyright © 2018 Literacy International [info@LiteracyInternational.net](info@LiteracyInternational.net) English Copyright © 2018, Literacy International [http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/](http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) You are free to make commercial use of this work. You may adapt and add to this work, but you may distribute the resulting work only under the same or similar license to this one. You must keep the copyright and credits for authors, illustrators, etc. When God’s Creatures Laugh Job 39-42 The question is often raised,“Why do bad things happen to good people?” and the story of what happened to Job tells us that God answers with another question,“Why don’t you just trust Me?” Job was an outstandingly good and kind man, who suffered the loss of his children, the loss of his wealth in sheep, camels, oxen, and donkeys. Then he suffered while his body was covered with sores. His wife was no comfort to him. His friends came and suggested that all his troubles were due to some sins he should confess. He replied,“If that is so, I wish God would tell me what they are. I can’t think of any no matter how hard I try.” His friends were no help to Job in understanding why he had so many troubles. But Job tried to answer when he replied to them by saying,“Ask the animals, and they will teach you, or the birds of the air, and they will tell you, or speak to the earth, and it will teach you, or let the fish of the sea inform you. Which of all these does not know that the hand of the Lord has done this? In His hand is the life of every creature.” What Job did not realize at that time was that God was preserving his life, but that Satan, the evil one, was responsible for all his troubles, and not God. God still loved and protected Job. He wanted Job to have faith not in his own goodness but in God’s faithfulness through hard times as well as good times. When God finally spoke to Job, He pointed out to him how wonderful the world and God’s whole universe is. Then God began to describe different animals and birds in order to increase Job’s faith. Job’s experience with animals had been with tame animals like sheep, camels, oxen, and donkeys. God said to Job,“Who let the wild donkey go free?” God, of course.“I gave him the wasteland as his home, the salt flats as his habitat.” God continued. The wild donkey lives in the wilderness where life is difficult. God told Job,“He goes far in the hills for his pasture and searches for “ any green thing.” Is this wild donkey unhappy? No,“He laughs at all the hubbub in the town. He doesn’t have to hear a driver shout at him!” God then described the ostrich, a bird which can’t fly like the stork, yet “the wings of the ostrich flap joyfully.” This clumsy bird, according to God, lays its eggs on the ground where they can be broken by wild animals. What a silly creature she is! And God explains,“I didn’t give her wisdom or a share of good sense.” In spite of all these handicaps, she can race so fast that “she laughs at horse and rider” as she easily outdistances them. No complaints there. God then described the war-horse to Job, challenging him,“Are you the one who gives him strength or the ability to leap like the locust?” Of course not!“The war-horse laughs at fear, afraid of nothing ... he cannot stand still when the trumpet sounds.” This sounds like some racehorses. They aren’t the servants of their masters. They are companions for the excitement of what they are doing. And then there is the leviathan, probably the crocodile. God asked Job,“Could you put a cord thr

FAQs

Why do bad things happen to good people, according to the Job story in this text?

The text presents suffering as a prompt to trust God rather than to assume wrongdoing is the only cause. It emphasizes God’s faithfulness through hard times.

How did Job’s friends explain his troubles?

They suggested his troubles were due to sins he should confess. Job questioned their certainty and asked for guidance from God.

What does God do when He finally speaks to Job?

God points Job to the wonder and order of the world, describing different animals and birds to strengthen Job’s faith and help him recognize his limited understanding.

Jul 17, 2026

Upload by Oliver