I remember in the first few days at home I would ask God, "When Job was faced with life's adversity, how did he respond that got your attention? How did he react? What did you say to him that finally got his attention?" All of these questions were pouring through my heart at a constant rate of speed.
There were several things that spoke to me about Job. One was that he had well-meaning friends who spoke to him. They didn't necessarily speak truth, but they had good intentions. Boy did I find that to be true. Many were the people who told me, "You're strong. You'll get through this."
Many were and are the prayers for comfort and peace. Yes, at the time I needed comfort and peace. But what I desperately wanted was someone to stand beside me and pray for healing. I didn't want to offer God a consolation prize of comfort and peace. I wanted and still want to say, "Here is it, Lord. Do your thing!"
A second thing I learned about Job was that he knew when to be silent. When God finally spoke to Job, Job answered back in reverence, "I am unworthy - how can I reply to you? I put my hand over my mouth. I spoke once, but I have no answer -- twice, but I will say no more." Job 40:3-5 NIV.
Job knew when to listen to God and when to be silent before Him. Sometimes we come to God with our prayers, petitions, declarations and decrees that we fail to be reverent before a Holy God who already knows what is best for us. We put our own will above His sovereign will because we walk in the flesh. Job knew when to be silent and listen.
A third and most powerful thing I think I learned was that God spoke to Job out of the storm. "Then the Lord answered Job out of the storm." Job 38:1. "Then the Lord spoke to Job out of the storm." Job 40:6. What I learned is that when God wants to speak to us, sometimes he has to speak to us out of the storm.
We don't like storms. We like to think of Jesus as the one who calmed the storm - the one that even the winds and seas obey him. We like to think of the scripture that says he has his way in the whirlwind and in the storm. Nahum 1:3. However, sometimes, the only way he can speak to us is in the storm, or out of the storm, or from the storm, or through the storm.
We are human and we have questions... so did Job. It's natural. It was natural for me. But I'm constantly reminded that when things are "nurtural" they are often the result of walking by sight - when we are actually called to walk by faith. We are called to look past the natural sight and look ahead with faith to the one who already knows all the answers to our questions.
I receive a daily devotion from Bible Gateway. This was today's morning devotion. It was such a great reminder to me - maybe because I've focused on Job for the past three months - or maybe just because I feel this pull to look past the situation to the one who holds my future in his hands. But here is what it says,
"Job 6:1–10
When Job’s life fell apart, he asked the same questions human beings have asked for millennia: Why me? What did I do to deserve this? How could God allow this to happen to me? Maybe you’re in Job’s shoes—feeling abandoned, rejected and hopeless. Maybe you are demanding answers from God. But as Job discovered, knowing the God who created you is better than knowing the answers to all your questions. Because when you know and trust his love, you’ll find the freedom and hope that will enable you to trust in God’s control over all things, even your suffering."
Rest in His peace and His love today.
It is a good place; a still and quiet place.
Jesus said, "Come to me all who are weary and heavy laden and I will give you rest." Matthew 11:28
Only By His Grace,
Billie
I too get a daily devotion. This morning's was about knowing how to be abased, when we are low, and how to abound, when things are going well. I just thought, well, you will know first hand when this is over, how to be brought very low, and how to be brought very high. Looking to God who is the author and the finisher of our faith and expecting HIM to do great and mighty things which we know not.
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