WELL, SHUT MY MOUTH!

Image result for CLIPART SHOWING SHUT MY MOUTHThe ole saying, "Well, shut my mouth!" seems to have been updated with "Shut up!"  I am combining the last four chapters of Job in my reading today.  Shut my mouth are the very words that Job speaks of himself when God does call Job to account for his words and attitudes which are spoken and thought beyond his knowledge and ability to know.  He confesses in chapter 40, "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."

How like God to not comply to Job's request and demand that HE answer to him...the SOVEREIGN ALMIGHTY meet the demands of the fragile, flawed, and finite even in his great pain?  God speaks to Job, specifically, asking him questions from chapters 38-41.  The commentator of chapter 38  "Then the Lord answered Job out of the storm.  He said...."  Other expressions of storm from the Hebrew, whirlwind, tornado, hurricane are words which are "associated with the divine presence.  It spoke of the powerful unmanageable nature of God;  that He is like a tornado that cannot be controlled or opposed."   

Job is certainly not the first or the last of God's highest creation that will dare to ask God the questions: "Why, Lord?" "Are You sure You know what You are doing with and to me?"  Amazing that the Almighty has not zapped us from the face of the earth, but how much more amazing if we are willing, we can press into HIM and experience HIS comfort, His compassion, His love, His mercy, and His grace.  Not sure who spoke this, it seems like it was attributed to Spurgeon, "When you can't trace God's hand, you can trust His heart."  The Word of God has been given to us that we could trace His hand and trust His heart...if we are willing to spend some well-needed time in His Word.  

My personal take-aways from dear ole Job:
  •  I am as unknowing of Mysterious and Magnificent God as Job, but I can trust what I do know of HIM from His completed Word which Job did NOT have.
  • God is gracious and forgiving and is NOT intimidated by the fact that I don't understand His actions.
  • HE uses pain and my shattered dreams as vehicles to drive/draw me to HIM so that I might experience HIM more intimately and fully learn greater trust in HIM. 
  • Love the fact that God is Sovereign: Psalm 115:3, "Our God is in heaven; He does whatever pleases Him."  
  • Like Job, "I know that You can do all thing, no plan of Yours can be thwarted.  You asked, "Who is this that obscures My counsel without knowledge? Surely I spoke of things I did not understand, things too wonderful for me to know."  Job then repents and humbles himself to God.  
  • The narrative of Job is completed, with his questions and my questions still not answered, but with a willingness to simply say, "Lord, I am willing to trust You for ALL I don't know and don't understand."  
Forever learning.  In process.  #IHAVETHREESONS. 
 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

THOSE SEEING CAN BECOME BLIND

Image
John 9 is the story of the healing of the blind beggar.  Not only is it a marvelous story of the miraculous healing of the man as he is given his sight, but a sad story of the religious of whom Jesus said, "For judgment, I have come into this world, so that the blind will see, and those who see will become blind ." The religious have seen the miracle, even though it has taken place on a Sabbath, and they interview the man and his parents for their stories and understanding. I find it so thrilling that the healed man speaks so articulately and logically with the religious in their "interview" with him.  His statement, " Now that is remarkable!  You don't know where HE comes from, yet HE opened my eyes.  We know that God does not listen to sinners.  He listens to the godly man who does His will.  Nobody has ever heard of opening the eyes of a man born blind. If this man were not from God, He could do nothing." What truth he has spoken to the religious wh...
Read more

REHEARSALS

Image
  I wonder how much time do I give to rehearsing God's goodness and how He has intervened in my life to "save" me from myself?  How alike the Israelites I can be, complaining about what goes wrong, how it affects me, and what I lack.  As a Christ follower, I have the Indwelling Holy Spirit to give me remembrance NOT of my complaining and grumbling, but of a recall of God's faithfulness to me.  It is recorded in Psalms 78 and 106 that " They forgot what He had done, the wonder He had shown them", "They did not remember His power--the day He redeemed them from the oppressor...", "They did not remember Your many kindnesses, and they rebelled by the sea, the Red Sea.", "But they soon forgot what He had done and did not wait for His counsel.", and "They forgot the God who saved them, who had done great things in Egypt...". Contrast with me, God's remembrance: Ps. 106:44-46, "But He took note of their distress...
Read more

A DONKEY SPEAKS!

Image
    Numbers has been full of repetitive accounts of the Israelites and their disobedience.  They have now made several laps around Mt. Sinai, many of the original people have died off, or been killed for their arrogant and presumptuous actions against the LORD, Moses, and Aaron. The overriding truth of the accounts is the merciful grace of the LORD! Moses is in his last days of leadership.  The forty years are coming to an end and they are moving toward a second attempt to enter the Promise Land.  They have been victorious in taking land, and they are moving further into the interior of the land of Moab.  The king and the residents of Moab are "filled with dread because of the Israelites.  The king of Moab, Balak, sends messages to Balaam, who is a sorcerer and is able to to place curses or blessings on others.  King Balak wants to know how to defeat "this horde" that is licking up everything around them.  Of course, he is desirous th...
Read more