This morning I was reading Job chapter 38. I've been reading Job for what feels like months. It's been kind of wearing on me spiritually because I feel so dragged down by it. Job has been through some miserable circumstances & he spends chapters & chapters & chapters telling his friends how God has abandoned him or that He must hate him for putting him through all these trials. The friends all speak out of turn, in an attempt to comfort Job. They do a lousy job of it, but Job's mind is set on God either fixing all the problems he's facing or going ahead and killing him to "put him out of his misery".
And then, in the midst of all these chapters of doom & gloom, Job 38:1 hit me like a brick.
The NIV translation says " 1 Then the LORD answered Job out of the storm. He said:"
The NASB says " 1Then the LORD answered Job out of the whirlwind and said,"
The Message says " 1 And now, finally, God answered Job from the eye of a violent storm. He said:"
Several other translations I looked up sounded similar. You get the idea.
The thing that got me was this. In the middle of our storms, do we assume God will do things like Job did --- either fix my problem or remove me from it. And yet, that's not how God works. Well, sometimes He does....but often our plans & ideas about how He can "fix it" do not look the least bit like what He does for us.
You see, IN THE MIDDLE OF THE STORM, God spoke to Job & answered His questions. God didn't remove Job from his doom & gloom, He spoke to him in the middle of it. I love the way the Message says it: "God answered Job FROM THE EYE OF A VIOLENT STORM". Wow. How many violent storms have you lived through? Did you hear God speaking? Did He have to scream to be heard over your cries or did He whisper in your heart?
I am reminded of one of my very favorite songs by the David Crowder Band called "How He Loves". The video is below. The lyrics always overwhelm me when I try to swallow them. I hope they bless you, too.
God, call out to me in my storm. Remind me to shut up so I can hear you!
10 years ago
3 comments:
sweet, may you be quiet enough to hear His whisper and loud enough to proclaim His name!! just wanted to say hello
In the storms and in the quiet, He has come to me. I loved your post. If you ever think, "Poor me", then one only needs to think of Job; don't ya think??
I love this! Thank you for sharing it with me! :)
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