“Will you rely on him…?” Job 39:11a
/God’s next example to present Job was the wild ox. Job was asked:
“Will the wild ox consent to serve you?” (v.9a)
“Will he stay by your manger at night?” (v.9b)
“Can you hold him to the furrow with a harness? Will he till the valleys behind you?” (v.10)
“Will you rely on him for his great strength? Will you leave your heavy work to him?” (v.11)
“Can you trust him to bring in your grain and gather it to your threshing floor?” (v.12)
Oxen have been domesticated for a few thousand years. In Job’s day, however, they were likely wild and had not gone through generations of training to domesticate the animal. Thus, we have God using the wild ox for another lesson to Job.
When something wild is caged or chained, what is the animal’s usual first response? The animal will struggle for hours – possibly days – to get free. That is the only life the animal has ever known. God specifically used the adjective “wild” when describing the ox. A wild ox will not become subservient in a short time, and the first opportunity to take flight for freedom will be a dangerous moment for anyone seeking to bring the powerful animal into submission.
The wild ox is the king of his herd and is used to calling the shots. He roams freely looking for the best locations for foraging plant-life. He will also come to the defense of his herd with surprising speed and fury. Trying to manage a wild ox with a harness would be impossible for any man. At the first scent of a female, the animal would take-off in the direction of the odor. It would take a village of man-power to control the bull. Domestic chores of tilling and harvesting would be impossible as well.
As impossible as it would be to tame a wild ox, the idea of taming one’s destiny is just as impossible. God was slowly preparing Job’s heart to understand that he was not in control of his life. Life is full of moments one may have some control over, though the tide and direction of one’s life is surely destined for God’s chosen purposes. We can make each day count by living lives of intentionality in our purpose, passion, poise, and practices. Yet, there are those moments which arrive at our doorstep with no announcement or warning, and those days may very well be the making of one’s destiny.
Try as you may, your life is shaped by: the family to which you are born; the times in which you live; injustices you may have experienced; privileges you may have known; natural disasters which you either witnessed or experienced; sickness; inherited physical conditions; people, books, education, multi-media and life experiences which impacted your thinking; and list could go on and on. In all these things, God is still in control… even when life seems out of control.
Will you rely on Him to provide the compass for right living and the wisdom for navigating through the moments determining your destiny. Just as the wild ox’s strength was coveted by man for centuries, God’s strength is all the more desirable for overcoming the perils of life in our day. He is the calm in the midst of the storm… be at peace in The Father’s arms. Let go of the wild tendency to take control of your destiny and trust God to write the story of your life. He always has the best endings.
Have a blessed day…