In the past few years, I’ve heard a lot of people talking about the phrase “deconstruction” in the context of faith. It seems to be one of those buzzwords that upon inspection means different things to different people. In the minds of some people, deconstruction is nothing less than a full-blown rejection of faith in God. For others it entails an examination of and refutation of some of the man-made rules of religion. And for others it simply involves reaching a better understanding of who God is and who God calls us to be.

Quite frankly … for me, the word always has stirred up a little bit of anxiety. So often I’ve only heard “deconstruction” and “faith” combined in a negative way to refer to a complete take down of the Bible or important aspects of theology, such as the belief that Jesus Christ is God’s son. But as I studied the book of Job a couple of weeks ago in preparation for Bible study, it struck me that if we can remove the more negative connotations of the concept, we might consider that “deconstruction” is a process that many of us go through at some point in time. Albeit, for different reasons. It could be that we’ve grown up in the church being taught certain beliefs and traditions but never really owning our faith for ourselves. So, we embark on an exploration to better understand what it means to say we believe in God. It could be that we’ve been hurt by people or institutions of faith to the point that we want to better understand the depths of God’s love outside of those contexts. It could be that we embrace an intellectual approach to faith and so our faith is built upon asking questions. Or it could be, like our friend Job (whose story we are studying this week in Bible study), that we find ourselves in a time of great sorrow, suffering, and pain in which nothing seems to make sense, and we wonder where God is amid all the darkness. In its most positive sense, “deconstruction” actually might be a fundamental part of our faith. For in his goodness, grace, and mercy, God always meets us where we are, but God also always calls us forward. Into deeper waters and more mature trust. So maybe a better word might be … “reconstruction.” That process by which we hone in on the truth of God’s love, grace, and mercy and we let the rest … fall away. Such that what emerges is a stronger, more authentic faith.

We see this through the story of Job who asks the questions that often form the nucleus of this process. Questions such as: “What does it mean to worship God? What does it mean to be a person of faith? If God is good and the world is good, then why do human beings suffer? Why do “bad” things happen to “good” people? Why does evil exist? If God loves us, then why must we ever experience pain? How do we survive the worst moments of our lives?” They are questions that can make us uncomfortable, even if we are the ones posing them. We might wonder if they point to a weak or lacking faith within us. We might worry that God will get mad at us for asking. Sometimes we tend to imagine that there is no room in faith for sincere doubts or for emotions like anger or unrelenting sorrow.

Likewise, these types of questions can make us uncomfortable when they are posed by other people. This is the case in Job’s life. In the face of Job’s genuine outpouring of pain, Job’s friends do the right thing, at first. They show up and sit with Job in silence, bearing witness in the valley of the shadow of death. But the more Job speaks, and the more Job begins to question God, the more nervous his friends become. They turn to theology as a weapon of sorts to shame Job as they incorrectly proclaim Job to be guilty because of their own feelings of fear and discomfort. The answer of Job’s friends to the problem of human suffering is to decide that the sufferer, Job, must have done something wrong … something to deserve such pain. “Just confess, Job, and it will all go away,” they proclaim with all manner of sincerity and concern for their friend, only to make things so much worse. Even the town “know-it-all” shows up to weigh in – he, too, determining that Job must be at fault. Job need only own up to his sins and his suffering will cease. But Job maintains that he is innocent. His suffering cannot be the result of wrongdoing on his part. Job is right. But there is more to the story.

We readers know something that Job and the others do not. We’ve been privy to a conversation between Almighty God, and a figure called the accuser – (in Hebrew, “the satan”). An exchange that tells us in advance that, indeed, Job is innocent. God calls him, “blameless.” Job’s suffering not a form of punishment, but the cost of the world in which we live.  As such, the conversation between God and the accuser has implications for all of us human beings for it speaks to the free will that God has given to us. (And, incidentally, to angels like “the accuser,” who is a fallen angel that later in the Bible will be called, “Satan” with a capital, “S”). We get to decide if we will love God as God loves us. We get to decide if we will follow God’s will or choose our own path. And that free will comes with a cost – suffering. For when we miss the mark of God’s will for our thriving there are consequences, for us and for others. And sometimes that means we endure suffering that feels utterly senseless. Suffering that is not a result of a bad choice we have made, but part of the brokenness that has befallen a world imbued with free will. A world in which even some of the angels have chosen rebellion. A world in which evil exists.

But what we discover in the pages of Job and in our own stories is that we are never alone in our suffering for God is present in his love, grace, and mercy to bear witness, to lend us strength, and to bring us comfort if we will turn to him. God speaks to Job from a whirlwind that brings refreshing rain to Job’s blistered and parched skin. God takes Job on a “tour” of creation that reveals to Job the true power of the Almighty. As the one who created every detail in this universe and exerts his sovereignty over all of creation, God shows Job that his perspective far exceeds that of dusty human beings.

The truth is that even when we feel as if we will come undone, God is more than capable of holding us together. Indeed, he is more than capable of stitching together the broken pieces of our hearts and drawing us into a deeper, more genuine relationship. One that moves beyond simple theological formulas or trite expressions of faith to embrace the complex reality of this world with the promise that in the world to come suffering will be no more. God can handle our “deconstruction” or “reconstruction” process as long as we don’t lose sight of the fundamental truths of God, as revealed to us in God’s Word. As long as we don’t lose sight of HIM. In fact, if we will lean into God during our time of searching, we will see that God invites us into such a process so that we might be drawn closer to him. Again, we see this in Job. The book of Job reframes suffering as a “test.” Not in the sense that God causes suffering so that God can prove something to us. But in the sense that God ensures that our suffering is not meaningless. God will use suffering to refine us and mature us in our faith and to show us just how much he loves us. Rabbi Steve Leder says we are not meant to say suffering is “worth it.” We are meant to understand that it is not “worthless.” In God’s economy, nothing is wasted if we trust in his love.

Therefore, the fact that the book of Job has been included in the canon of Scripture teaches us that it is okay to not be okay. We are allowed to ask questions, to cry out, to express pain, and to get mad at God. We are allowed to go on a search to discover who God is and who we are … from God’s point of view. We will find, as Job did, that in that search, waiting for us even in the darkness, is El Shaddai. Almighty God tells us that it is okay – more than okay – to simply, “Be still and know that He is God.” He teaches us that we can find comfort in the recognition that we are his creations. Loved by him beyond all measure, yes. But also, dusty and limited. We can’t see the future (or sometimes even the next right step in front of us). We do not know one another’s hearts (or even our own at times). We cannot see the “big picture” of interconnected webs linking us to God, creation, and other human beings all throughout the timespan of human history. And that is okay because El Shaddai does see. Know. Understand. And we were created to be dependent on Almighty God to fill in the gaps for us and reveal to us what it means to thrive. Just as we must rely on one another and on the bounty of creation as the means via which God so often meets our daily needs.

I know not everyone loves the book of Job. And I get it. The first few times I encountered Job, I didn’t like it all. I didn’t understand half of what was going on. I longed for more uplifting words. But over time, as I’ve studied and read its pages, it has become one of my favorite parts of Scripture. And our current study, in which we are reading the Old Testament according to a chronological order of its events, has helped me to appreciate Job even more! It is some of the oldest material in the Bible. Linking the primeval world of Genesis with its creation accounts and flood and tower rising to the heavens with the beginning of “datable” history and the story of Israel’s origins via its patriarchs and matriarchs. It represents an ancient humanity far removed from us in time, but maybe less so in experience, for it poses the same questions with which we wrestle. Pastor David Guzik writes, “Time, progress, government, and organization have made man better off, but not better.” All our creative work has enabled us to leave Job’s primitive world behind. But such progress has not been able to address the deepest questions of our human hearts. No amount of progress can ease the intense grief of loss or pain. In fact, I submit that no answer to the question of “why” ever really takes away our suffering completely. We don’t need more answers – we need presence. We need God. We need one another. We need to draw close, be still and to rest in our dustiness. Content to know that El Shaddai – Almighty God – holds us all in the palms of his hand. Promising us that suffering shall not last forever. Sorrow will cease. If we follow the feet of Jesus, God will lead us into everlasting peace in a remade garden of delight where darkness will be no more for God himself will be our light. We won’t just get a gold star for passing the test of faith in a broken world, we will get a crown.

Job shows us what a positive “deconstruction” and “reconstruction” of faith can get us. A sense of humility regarding the structures and elements of faith that we have created. A recognition that the parts of “religion” that have been created by humans are meant to be reevaluated and updated as time marches on. And an understanding that in our deepest sorrows God will never abandon us. God will sit with us as long as it takes in the darkness and then he will pull us back into the light. That kind of “deconstruction” (or “reconstructon”) brings us peace. Lends us contentment for the elements of the Christian faith that do matter. The everlasting truths of God’s kingdom. The good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ that tells us we all, every last one of us, are called “beloved” by God. That in Jesus we have all been given the amazing love, grace, and mercy of God. Job’s story ends with a double portion of all he had lost. Blessing upon blessing. And so will ours. For one day we will live with God in eternal blessing and light.

God’s peace be with you,

Kimberly

Even though our chronological Bible study of the Old Testament kicked off a few weeks ago, I want to remind you that registration remains open all year. It is NEVER too late to join us. So far we’ve studied Genesis 1-11 and we are beginning the book of Job (we will pick back up in Genesis after Job is completed).

To visit the course page CLICK HERE.

To register please CLICK HERE.

Just a reminder that 15% of all money donated to Kimberly Constant Ministries between August 2025 and August 2026 will be given to Hope Heals camp. Thank you to all of you who have donated so far! Next month I will tally it all up and let you know where we stand 😀 .

Also, one of the founders of Hope Heals, Katherine Wolf, has an amazing podcast called The Good Hard Story. As she says each week in her podcast opening, she believes that the good story and the hard story can be the exact same story. She invites us to join her in a “joyful rebellion to the darkness, where we discover the treasures hidden in our hurting.” Her new “season” just kicked off and her first guest is Beth Moore. I highly, highly recommend listening and subscribing!!! You can find the podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube. I’ll add the link to YouTube below.

Our worship series for this year is called “The Names of God,” following along with our Old Testament Bible study.

Have questions, want to connect, have a prayer request, or in need of pastoral counseling? Send me an email and we can set up time to “meet!”

May God bless you and keep you, may God make his face to shine upon you, and may God grant you peace.

Kimberly