Tag Archives: Job
Podcast: Out of the Storm
Out of the Storm
It had been a painful and trying time for Job. At times, it may have seemed everyone was against him. Job may have wondered if the storm would ever let up. It was one thing right after another. Day after day, Job and his friends debated the cause of the trial and wondered about relief. That is, until God spoke to Job from the storm.
Job 42:1-6 records Job saying to God:
2 “I know that you can do all things;
no purpose of yours can be thwarted.
3 You asked, ‘Who is this that obscures my plans without knowledge?’
Surely I spoke of things I did not understand,
things too wonderful for me to know.
4 “You said, ‘Listen now, and I will speak;
I will question you,
and you shall answer me.’
5 My ears had heard of you
but now my eyes have seen you.
6 Therefore I despise myself
and repent in dust and ashes.”
It would have been enough for the Lord to relieve Job’s storm. It would have been enough just to put Job in a different season of life, but the Lord doesn’t stop there. He allows Job not only to hear about him, but to see him. Out of Job’s storm, he sees the Lord and is forever changed.
Out of storms, God speaks. Out of storms, it seems the Lord reveals himself. Amid storms, the Lord can be seen vibrantly. Out of life’s storms, we can see God and be forever changed. How have you seen the Lord in the storms of your life?
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God, Why is This Happening?
“God, why is this happening?” This is a question Job asked poetically. He couldn’t understand, and he wanted to hear from God. Job’s older friends offered solutions, but they were incorrect. Job himself tried to conclude what was happening, but couldn’t find a reason. Job’s youngest friend, Elihu, offered an idea, but wasn’t completely right. As they were talking, God interrupted their conversation and began asking Job some questions.
Job 38 records God answering out of the whirlwind with a series of questions. Obviously, Job knows none of the answers, and one question may have been enough to grab Job’s attention, but God uses a long series of questions. Not to incriminate the questioner, but to help him develop a clear perspective of God’s almighty power. When God gives Job an opportunity to speak, Job does not have an answer. He fully realizes God is the one in control. In the midst of his storm, God answered Job.
Amid storms, God answers many of us. Not to incriminate us, but to give us a clear perspective. We may not always understand what is happening. Isaiah 55:8-9 says:
8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord.
9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways
and my thoughts than your thoughts.
While we may not fully grasp what is happening, we can rest assured God is in control.
The Lord stayed with Job through his pain and suffering, and he promises he will stay with us as we may endure pain and suffering. The Lord says, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you” (Hebrews 13:5).
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God’s Reflection in Nature
The sunshine, the clouds, snowflakes, rain, flowers, grass, and trees all point to the Lord. All of nature helps us see God’s hand at work. From its beauty and majesty to its complex makeup, nature reflects the glory of its Creator.
Job questioned God’s location during his pain and suffering, and his friend Elihu reminded Job looking at nature shows God at work. In Job 37, Elihu points to a variety of nature’s aspects as evidence God is in control. Sun, moon, snow, thunder, and lightning are all within his control. Man can do nothing more than study these parts of nature, but God controls them. Elihu continues in verses 14-18:
14 “Listen to this, Job;
stop and consider God’s wonders.
15 Do you know how God controls the clouds
and makes his lightning flash?
16 Do you know how the clouds hang poised,
those wonders of him who has perfect knowledge?
17 You who swelter in your clothes
when the land lies hushed under the south wind,
18 can you join him in spreading out the skies,
hard as a mirror of cast bronze?”
The Lord uses nature as a reflection of his power as he reveals himself to Job. In chapters 40 and 41, God uses creation as an illustration of his power. There are animals’ man cannot tame. We cannot control them, yet God created them. There are many elements of nature which are beyond our control, yet God controls their coming and going with a single word. He is an all-powerful God, and he cares for us.
The next time you find yourself going through a hard time, take note of nature. The same God that created the world takes time to count the number of hairs on your head. The Bible guarantees the Lord will be with us and help us get through the tough seasons of life.
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Where is God?
Where is God? This is a question Job asked often as he was going through his season of pain and suffering. He couldn’t comprehend events, and he had trouble remembering where God was. Can you relate?
This is a question which has been asked through the generations, and many people are asking it today. Events seem incomprehensible as history is made right before our eyes. Folks may have trouble remembering God’s location. Job’s friend Elihu gives some insight.
In Job 36:26, Elihu says, “How great is God—beyond our understanding!
The number of his years is past finding out.”
Max Lucado writes, “we may search out the moment the first wave slapped on a shore or the first star burst in the sky, but we’ll never find the first moment when God was God. For there is no moment when God was not God. He has never not been or he is eternal. God is not bound by time.”
God always has been and always will be. He is right beside us.
- “May he rule from sea to sea
and from the River to the ends of the earth” (Psalm 72:8). - 7 “Where can I go from your Spirit?
Where can I flee from your presence?
8 If I go up to the heavens, you are there;
if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.
9 If I rise on the wings of the dawn,
if I settle on the far side of the sea,
10 even there your hand will guide me,
your right hand will hold me fast” (Psalm 139:7-10).
Amid all that is going on, the Lord is right beside us.
Romans 8:38-39 reminds us, 38 “For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
He is not going to leave us or forsake us. We can have comfort in knowing the Lord is with us.”
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No Bitter Root
One of the tricks of gardening is to keep the weeds pulled out of the garden. One weed can deposit many seeds which will later become weeds, so it is vital for the garden’s health to keep the weeds out. It seems life works the same way.
There are many circumstances that can creep in and plant “weed seed” in our lives. Hard times, medical difficulties, disappointments, and setbacks can throw out seeds of doubt, envy, and even bitterness. When things do not go well, bitterness is a feeling which may easily come. It may have started to come for Job.
In chapter 23, Job remarks his complaint is a bitter one. He cannot comprehend why his life is going through this season of pain and suffering. He has done nothing wrong, yet everyone accuses him of wrongdoing. Perhaps Job is growing weary of his suffering, so he begins to feel bitter. This may be a normal emotion as it is not the momentary feeling of bitterness that causes much damage. The damage comes when bitterness takes root and upsets our lives.
Hebrews 12:15 encourages us to not allow bitterness to take root. The writer says bitterness can ruin lives. The Message puts it this way, “Look after each other so that not one of you will fail to find God’s best blessings. Watch out that no bitterness takes root among you, for as it springs up it causes deep trouble, hurting many in their spiritual lives.”
The Bible recommends we get rid of anything that may cause bitterness in our lives. For some, this may be unforgiveness. Holding on to a grudge can be fertile soil for bitterness to grow.
Do you feel bitterness taking hold in your life? What is causing it? Try turning the cause over to the Lord, and allow his grace to destroy the root bitterness is growing in your life.
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Getting to Know Wisdom
Job thinks about the source of wisdom. Where does wisdom originate? In Job’s day, much had already been discovered. Mining was commonplace, and mankind had discovered ways pull minerals from under the earth. Rivers had been explored and hidden treasures brought to light. New discoveries were being made, but no one had fully discovered all wisdom.
In chapter 28, Job comments true wisdom is found in God. He is the source of wisdom Notice the last few verses of the chapter.
23 God understands the way to it
and he alone knows where it dwells,
24 for he views the ends of the earth
and sees everything under the heavens.
25 When he established the force of the wind
and measured out the waters,
26 when he made a decree for the rain
and a path for the thunderstorm,
27 then he looked at wisdom and appraised it;
he confirmed it and tested it.
28 And he said to the human race,
“The fear of the Lord—that is wisdom,
and to shun evil is understanding.”
While many advances in knowledge have been made since Job’s day, the source of wisdom is still the same. True wisdom is still found in the Lord, and the source for us is the Bible.
- Psalm 119:105 teaches the Bible is a light to our path.
- Hebrews 4:12 says, “12 For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.”
The Bible presents wisdom on all topics; society, relationships, family, marriage, finances, and everything else is found within its pages. The Bible is alive and active, and God uses his word to help us gain wisdom. Take some time to get to know wisdom by reading through the Bible.
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Age-Old Questions
What is God doing? Is God fair? These are questions that have been asked through the ages.
No one asks these questions more poetically than Job. Job experienced an extremely difficult time in life which tested his faith. He experienced a health crisis, lost his family, and his wealth was taken away. Job’s friends said it was his fault. Surely, he had done something wrong to bring about such a disaster, they thought. His wife even encouraged Job to curse God and die. As Job is going through this time, he asks the age-old question “why me?”
Perhaps we’ve all asked this question. We’ve all wondered why things happen the way they do. It is okay to ask this question. God doesn’t frown upon us for asking. As we ask, we must remember our perspective is limited, while God’s is full. The book of Job reminds us we do not always see the big picture.
Think about going through a maze. Without seeing it from above, you do not know how to get through. You just have to take twists and turns until you find your way through. If you have a map or someone guiding you, it is much easier. You may not understand why you are going a certain way, but you trust their guidance.
Life is like a maze, except God sees it from above. He offers to guide us. He offers to show us the way through life’s twists and turns. We may not understand why life is going in a certain direction, but by faith, we trust that the Lord does.
Psalm 119:105 says, “Your word is a lamp for my feet,
a light on my path.”
God has a full view of life. He sees it from the beginning to the end, and wants to lead us through all of its seasons. Do you allow the Lord to lead? As you ponder life’s events, remember the Lord’s perspective has no limits.
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Our Redeemer Lives
Disappointing, painful, and hard to go through may easily describe Job’s situation. He went from having plenty to having nothing. His wealth, health, and family all stripped away. His friends begin to question him and conclude it is his fault, but Job remains steadfast in his faith. Job declares his redeemer lives.
He says in 19:25-26, 25 “I know that my redeemer lives,
and that in the end he will stand on the earth.
26 And after my skin has been destroyed,
yet in my flesh I will see God…”
Disappointing, painful, or hard to go through may describe where you are in life right now. You moved across country for a big promotion that has made you miserable and left you disappointed. Your relationship ended in a painful way. It is hard to watch your loved one suffer as he or she battles a medical illness. In many ways, you can parallel your life to Job right now. What about your faith?
Disappointments, pain and suffering are unfortunately a part of life. Dreams and goals may not always work out exactly as planned. However, we can echo the words of Job, knowing that our redeemer lives. Though life may not turn out as we planned, in Christ, we can have confidence the Lord is with us and Heaven awaits.
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