PRAISE & PRAYER PROMPT ••• Have you ever been so enraged or indignant at the words of another, you may go literally toe to toe with them to challenge them?
My husband calls it “posturing up to someone.”
When I read the Lord’s response to Job, I have that image in my head, though He actually spoke to Job out of a storm.
In Job 38:3-4, God said, “Brace yourself like a man; I will question you, and you shall answer me. Where were you when I laid the earth’s foundation? Tell me, if you understand.”
This sets the stage for God’s indignation over the previous conversations between Job and his friends.
As I’ve mentioned earlier, Job is a difficult book for me to read, but this is where it gets really intense and frankly, good.
This is the climax of the story.
God is going to have His say.
And at the risk of sounding like it’s fun to watch someone else get told off, reading this part is like pulling up a chair to watch.
It’s the part where you yell to whoever is in the kitchen, “Hurry! And bring the popcorn!”
I don’t say that flippantly or lightly, but the simple truth is — it’s about to get real.
And you don’t want to miss it.
It’s a humbling experience to read God’s words.
God expresses the reality of His sovereignty.
His greatness.
His control.
It’s a conversation that could even be repeated in the future to all who have rejected Him.
At the time when every knee will bow and tongue confess that He is Lord (Philippians 2:10-11).
It will be the ultimate crescendo in the theatre of humanity.
And for those who bear witness, a humbling moment of epic proportions.
In God’s rebuttal of all Job and his friends have said, we learn that it’s okay to question God…
But through it all, we have to remember Who is really in charge.
Questioning Him can’t be about challenging His authority or questioning His motives.
As Francis Chan wrote in his book, “Crazy Love,” “When you create your own universe, you can make the rules.” (Paraphrasing because I’ve loaned my copy of that book out).
When we need a reminder of God’s all-powerful attributes, this is a good place to go.
Today, as you pray, thank God for being sovereign and His overall design for the world and all that is in it.
Ask the Holy Spirit to help you be humble and when you’re tempted to question, you do so with reverent respect to God the Creator…
And with understanding that His authority is greater your questions…
And that you may accept that you may not get all your answers now, nor will you always understand His whys…
But that you can trust that God is doing what He does best — being God.
