“Do you know the laws…?” Job 38:33a

There are constants built into every fiber of creation. The more man delves into discovering creation, the more startling the evidence there is of a Designer behind it all. I am told that scientists discovered a unique constant for re-entry into the earth’s atmosphere: depending on the size and weight of a spacecraft, the re-entry angle is forty degrees. Any greater, and the craft would burn-up during re-entry; any less, and the craft would ricochet off the earth’s atmosphere and head back into space.

There are laws of gravity, relativity, thermodynamics, continuity & transfer, electromagnetism, motion, photonics, reflection & refraction, quantum mechanics, radiation, chemistry and geophysical constants. There may be more, but that’s all I could find in a quick search. In other words, each of these different fields of discovery have enough constants about them for scientists to accurately predict outcomes. Which is why, even though we are hurling through space at approximately 67,000 mph, the sky at night still looks the same… because everything else is moving as well!

God’s questions on the universe and space were the most challenging yet for Job:

• “Can you bind the beautiful Pleiades?” (v.31a)

• “Can you loose the cords of Orion?” (v.31b)

• “Can you bring forth the constellations in their seasons or lead out the Bear with its cubs?” (v.32)

• “Do you know the laws of the heavens?” (v.33a)

• “Can you set up God’s dominion over the earth?” (v.33b)

The Pleiades are a group of more than 800 stars located in the constellation called Taurus over 400 light years from earth. Orion is a constellation on the celestial equator of our galaxy and is one of the most prominent in the earth’s night sky. The bear is the constellation astrologists have named Ursa Major, and its most recognizable stars make-up what most know as The Big Dipper. All of these constellations, like earth and our solar system, are moving farther apart in an expanding universe. However, there are still measurable constants scientists have discovered for understanding dynamics in other fields of study, such as navigation (which is why the GPS in our smart phones is fairly reliable).

Just as God has established universal laws within creation, He has also established laws for living which are knowable, and which, together, can act as a reliable compass for navigating through life’s tough decisions. God’s dominion over the heaven’s and the earth is observable in His universal laws, yet He gives humanity the freedom to choose how one should live. Frances Schaffer, author of the book: “How Should We Then Live”, described that process in the following way:

“Most people catch their presuppositions from their family and surrounding society, the way that a child catches the measles. But people with understanding realize that their presuppositions should be chosen after a careful consideration of which worldview is true.”

Truth is most accurate when it can lead to reliable and accurate conclusions. The evidence of a Great Designer is irrefutable – for creation is too perfect to assume some random cataclysmic and terrible action began a process that would lead to life. Do you know the laws of the heavens… or for that matter, of God’s way leading to a blessed life, yielding His peace as you walk in His presence? The apostle Paul asserted one would have no excuse when standing before the judgement seat of Christ, for everything that is created points to The Creator:

“For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities - His eternal power and divine nature - have been understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.” (Romans 1:20)

Begin to discover God’s way to abundant living today and call out to Him, asking Him to lead you to the way that leads to His peace.

Have a blessed day…

“Does rain have a father?” Job 38:28a

Poor Job… the questions only got tougher. God continued heaping loads of unanswerable queries to consider:

“Who cuts a channel for the torrents of rain, and a path for the thunderstorm, to water a land where no man lives, a desert with no one in it, to satisfy a desolate wasteland and make it sprout with grass?” (vv. 25 – 27)

• “Does rain have a father?” (v.28a)

• “Who fathers the drops of dew?” (v.28b)

• “From whose womb comes the ice?” (v.29a)

• “Who gives birth to the frost from the heavens when the waters become hard as stone, when the surface of the deep is frozen?” (v.29b)

God is slowly providing Job a much larger picture… a broader perspective on how creation is created and maintained. The interrogation was showing Job that all of life was not about him… even his own life. Though man exalts his/her own significance or value in this world, it is not about you… and it certainly is not about me.

The sciences have developed as man’s quest to understand the systems of creation and man’s role in it. Even yet, mankind is not motivated enough to cease the production of certain synthesized materials which take generations to decompose. Humanity has not learned, even after the current pandemic, that the atmosphere really does recover if we stop polluting it with the noxious gases emitted from the production of those synthesized materials.

If nature has a father, and we all know it does, wouldn’t the father design it in such a way as to provide mankind with everything necessary for life and sustenance? In fact, God even provides for the unseen life in the hostile environments of the deserts and polar extremes. If The Father cares that much for grass, imagine how much greater He cares for you. That’s the whole point of today’s passage.

God has always had a plan. Even before the dawn of creation, God had a plan… and it included you… and me. It’s hard to fathom, isn’t it? How is God able to do such marvelous things? Because He is God… and we are not. It’s not about us, it’s all about Him and the beauty of His wisdom and power.

So, where do we fit in to it all? First, we fit in to God’s plan by recognizing it all began with Him, and it is all held together by Him, and it is all maintained by Him. Second, Jesus directed humanity to the Great Commandment: “Love the Lord, your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind…” (Luke 10:27). In that way, we demonstrate our resolve in understanding that it IS all about Him.

Have a blessed day…

“Have you entered the storehouses…?” Job 38:22a

As God continued to prepare Job’s heart for the teachable moment, He hurled more questions before Job:

• “Have you entered the storehouses of the snow or seen the storehouses of the hail, which I reserve for times of trouble, for days of war and battle?” (vv. 22 – 23)

• “What is the way to the place where the lightning is dispersed, or the place where the east winds are scattered over the earth?” (v.24)

These storehouses are located within the sovereign will of God. He alone is able to command snow, hail, lightning and wind to accomplish His divine purposes. He is even able to use them in days of war! Just as Jesus was Lord over the raging sea, He is also ruler over the weather – that answers to His bidding in a moments notice.

These queries may have put Elihu in his place, as he had attested his wisdom to be superior to Job’s. Elihu spoke of God’s command over the snow and rain (37:6), without any hint that he knew or understood God’s wisdom in how the natural elements were dispatched from His throne. God was taking Job and the audience around him back to origins – not only creation, but of His unquestionable purposes and uncontestable will.

It is difficult for any of us to understand why lightning may strike a child in a ballfield or why hail may destroy a farmer’s healthy crop. To enter God’s storehouses is to enter into His halls of providence. His ways are so much higher than man’s ways, and we could never begin to see life from His perspective… His seamless perspective between infinity and our own ‘finite-ness’.

It has been said that when one does not understand God’s will, one should simply trust God’s heart. For God’s heart is always inclined toward His children. Those who call upon His name may know days of tragedy, sadness, loneliness, despair, hopelessness and pain… and through it all experience God’s sufficient grace to carry one through life’s most burdensome times.

Have you entered the storehouses of providence? Step into the darkest zones of faith, where there is no light to see – only His voice to guide us one step at a time… entreating us to come to Him and know His saving power and sanctuary.

Enter into His grace today by trusting in His Son, Jesus Christ… and you will enter the storehouse of great provision and power for living.

Have a blessed day…

“Do you know the paths…?” Job 38:20b

The questions just kept coming for Job. He didn’t even have a moment to catch his breath. God hammered away with the following questions:

• What is the way to the abode of light?” (v.19a)

• “And where does darkness reside?” (v.19b)

• “Can you take them to their places?” (v.20a)

• “Do you know the paths to their dwellings?” (v.20b)

Light and darkness were mysteries in Job’s day. Each carrying significant meaning: light for life; and darkness for death. These questions may actually be challenging Job’s understanding of both… and his complete incompetence to effect either. Only God is the author of life, and He is The One Who measures man’s days – assigning each his/her expiration date.

To make His point hit home, God prodded Job further with these words:

“Surely you know, for you were already born! You have lived so many years!” (v.21)

Next to The Eternal One, any person becomes overshadowed by God’s infinite greatness. We are but dust in the wind. There is no one who was present at creation, and there is no one who comes near God’s existence – Who was, and is, and is to come. Old age in humanity is but a myth in the light of eternity. Discovery can mark one’s life from the cradle to the grave.

Humanity does try, however unsuccessfully, to trace the paths of one’s origin… perhaps in an attempt to prepare for walking through the valley of the shadow of death (read Psalm 23). Or perhaps in an attempt to make sense of just how one fits-in to the overall picture of humanity’s presence upon the earth.

Do you know the paths of life and death? You may be able to trace your lineage back one thousand years, and that alone would be quite an accomplishment. But what significance would it carry for humanity? How does one life make any real sense without understanding that life’s significance in the light of eternity? Jesus provided us the answer:

“I am The Resurrection and The Life. The one who believes in Me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in Me will never die.” (John 11:25-26)

Do you know the path to life beyond this life? Jesus gave us that answer, as well:

“I am The Way, The Truth and The Life. No one comes to The Father except through Me.” (John 14:6)

He is The First and The Last… this life and the after-life all make sense when seen through the filter of God’s love and redemption through Jesus. Jesus is not only the path to eternal life; He’s the door one enters for the certainty of it! You can trust Him.

Have a blessed day…

“Tell Me, if you know…” Job 38:18b

The Almighty posed four more questions to Job – each of which challenged Job’s understanding of activity in dimensions which he had no earthly knowledge. They were all ‘other-worldly’. The first query also informed Job of something he probably never knew: the springs of the oceans are found in the farthest depths of the sea. Even with scuba gear, one is unable to reach them (though Jacques Cousteau’s son, Jacques-Yves, has recently worked with a team that designed, manufactured and used a small submarine to reach depths never reached before by man). The ocean deep is an ‘other-world’ kingdom with creatures unlike any seen on land. Theologian Matthew Henry asserted that God’s way in governing this world is said to be as deep as the sea, and in the great waters (Psalm 77:19), intimating that it is hidden from us and not to be pried into by us.

God’s second and third questions challenged Job’s understanding of death and the afterlife. Death is a great mystery… whose depths are deeper than the oceans. None of us knows just how we are to leave this earth: by what disease, catastrophe, calamity, or evil… or if we will simply live to a ripe old age and breathe our last breath. No one knows his/her appointed time. Each of us has an expiration date. Mr. Henry’s commentary on these two questions are worthy of contemplation:

“We cannot describe what death is, how the knot is untied between body and soul, nor how the spirit of a man goes upward (Ecclesiastes 3:21), to be - we know not what, and live - we know not how, as Mr. Norris expresses; with what dreadful curiosity (says he) does the soul launch out into the vast ocean of eternity and resign to an untried abyss! Let us make it sure that the gates of heaven shall be opened to us on the other side of death, and then we need not fear the opening of the gates of death, though it is a way we are to go but once.” (The Matthew Henry Complete Commentary of The Bible, )

In any case, God used two ways to describe death: the gates of death, and the gates of the shadow of death. They are both plural, leading one to understand there are more than a thousand ways to die. The latter gates hint of a worldly experience when one comes close to death (though some translations read, “the gates of the deepest darkness”). The first description of death’s gates point to what lies beyond this life, pointing to an afterlife. I wonder why God chose to call it the gates of death, when it could just as easily be called the gates to life after death… or simply, the gates of eternal life. Possibly, because there is but one gate to enter into Heaven’s rest, The Lord, Jesus Christ – the narrow gate (read Matthew 7:13-14, 21-23; Luke 13:23-25).

As with every question God had directed to Job up to this point, each answer is an expected, “No.” No human could ever see from God’s vantage point or understand from God’s limitless mind. God’s demand for Job to reply was preparing Job’s heart for the teachable moment. Job had to come to the end of himself… the end of his own understanding.

Tell me if you know all this… the answers to God’s questions. The most important being, “Why should I let you into My Heaven?” (Read 1 John 5:13)

Have a blessed day…

“…like clay under a seal…” Job 38:14a

God breathed into Job to use the word which to us is translated, “clay”. For a few millennia, seals upon rolled-up papyrus scrolls usually used wax. The jars the scrolls were kept in were made of clay and topped with dried plant material made into a cord, which was then covered with more clay. A seal was then impressed upon the clay – bearing the owner’s mark.

This world is dynamic – it’s constantly changing by all the forces working upon it: storms with wind, rain, snow, or freezing rain; earthquakes, drought, rotting vegetation, the patterns of wild animals and even by man. All of these impact the earth’s shape, like clay under a seal. God’s description of the earth’s features was that of a garment designed to complement the wearer – allowing one’s physical features to be seen in their best light.

The shape of the earth at sunrise can be magical, whether it is seen on an ocean shore or from a mountain peak. Watching the shadow of night slowly give way to the sun’s light seems to awaken one’s awareness of just how beautiful this world really is. It is only natural that gratitude wells-up within one’s heart when beholding the spectacle of creation coming to life. God told Job that the wicked are denied their light: they can never fully appreciate the grandeur and majesty of His daily gift of life – The Present. A gift that is only as precious as how one’s life is lived within the allotted hours of a day.

As Believers may raise arms in worship to God, even in personal worship at sunrise, the upraised arm of the wicked is broken. In other words, God doesn’t give any recognition to their duplicity and false worship… as if they have been disconnected to access The Almighty.  One cannot practice wickedness and expect an audience with The Creator of the universe. Duplicity is only a fancy word for one who lives a lie.

We who inhabit this earth are designed to bring God glory. God’s seal is all over us! We are made in His image – to discern between darkness and light, good and evil. All creation fell when Adam and Eve rebelled against God in The Garden of Eden. Although creation fell, the earth is still The Lord’s and the fulness thereof (Psalm 24:1-3; 1 Corinthians 10:26). God’s mark or seal is still upon this earth. And although every human is created in God’s image, He yielded His right of ownership to accomplish His plan of redemption. Each person may accept or reject God’s loving plan of redemption, restoration and renewal.

If God’s Spirit is speaking to you now, ask Jesus to enter your heart of hearts and take over. Give ownership of your life to Him, that you may walk with a seal upon your heart. One writer describes the seal this way:

“Biblically, to be ‘sealed’ is to be verified as God’s child. Ephesians 1 says, ‘When you believed, you were marked in Him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, Who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession – to the praise of His glory.’ (vv.13-14) The Apostle John wrote, ‘I looked, and behold, the Lamb was standing on Mount Zion, and with Him, one hundred and forty-four thousand, having His name and the name of His Father written on their foreheads.’ (Revelation 14:1) By their seals, these believers are protected from Satan.” (Candace Lucey; Christianity.com; https://www.christianity.com/wiki/bible/what-does-it-mean-to-be-sealed-by-the-holy-spirit.html)

Are you certifiably a child of God? If you were put on trial for being a Christian, would there be enough evidence to find you guilty? More importantly than that, the Godhead works together, recognizing the work of The Holy Spirit to be the mark legitimizing one belonging to God. To live as children of God, our lives must be as clay in The Potter’s hands… allowing Him to shape us for His purposes, like clay under a seal. Surrender your heart and mind to His Word and Way.

Have a blessed day…

“Have you ever given orders…” Job 38:12a

The next question posed to Job by The Almighty had a qualifier: the orders given to the morning dawn were to shake the wickedness out of it! I had never paid close attention to this qualifier before. Oftentimes, one may read scripture and glance over such phrases without giving much thought. However, when each word is considered and their meaning sought-after like a hidden treasure, God often reveals the golden nuggets of truth.

God designed the morning dawn as a fresh beginning for every living thing… and as a fresh start for hurting souls. He asked Job, “Have you ever given orders to the morning, or shown the dawn its place, that it might take the earth by the edges and shake the wicked out of it?” (vv. 12 – 13) What place does the dawn have? A strategically important place in God’s eyes: to shake the hell out of the earth! In other words, all the wickedness that occurred the day before has no power over God’s provision of a new day… the new beginning. God has ordered it, and His Word shall stand.

Again, God was reminding Job just how insignificant he was in the scope of creation. Job had no power over the rising of the morning sun. He may have never considered the significance God had given each dawn through the hope of new beginnings. We all need the promise, the hope of new beginnings, for we have all failed and need renewing. Some have never experienced God’s power of redemption, restoration and renewal. The writers of Hebrews advised that when God speaks, it should NEVER be refused:

”See to it that you do not refuse Him who speaks. If they did not escape when they refused Him who warned them on earth, how much less will we, if we turn away from Him who warns us from heaven? At that time His voice shook the earth, but now He has promised, “Once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens.” The words “once more” indicate the removing of what can be shaken—that is, created things—so that what cannot be shaken may remain.” (Hebrews 12:25-27)

If you’ve had the very foundations of your life to be shaken by sickness, despair, depression, hopelessness, loneliness, or addiction, listen for God’s voice in today’s words to Job. Perhaps what you have experienced is God’s grace working in you to provide hope for another day… by having the wickedness of it all shaken out of you, and what remains will be reshaped by The Potter.

I believe verses twelve and thirteen reflect the heart of Christ when He taught His disciples how to pray: “Father, hallowed be Your name; Your Kingdom come.” (Luke 11:2, NIV) God’s ultimate plan is to bring Heaven to earth. He designed earth to uniquely fit His specifications for the new Heaven. For that to happen, all the wickedness of earth – it’s history from the day man rebelled in The Garden of Eden to the day all things will be made new – must be expunged… erased… removed as far as the east is from the west… shaken like a rug to remove unwanted debris.

Pray with me for the dawn to shake the wickedness in our day from the earth.

Have a blessed day…

“’This far you may come…’” Job 38:11a

Scientists have long pondered the mystery of the origin of earth’s water. One of the clues they look for when space probes are sent through our solar system is the evidence of water. Have you been to see the ocean lately and considered its vast and enormous depths and power? How was earth so richly blessed with water, and how is this water contained to prevent flooding the entire earth? The answer is simple: because God made it that way.

God challenged Job with a ‘longly’ worded query (in canonized scripture it fills four entire verses!) which accurately portrayed God’s authority, power, and wisdom:

“Who shut up the sea behind doors when it burst forth from the womb, when I made the clouds its garment and wrapped it in thick darkness, when I fixed limits for it and set its doors and bars in place, when I said, ‘This far you may come and no farther; here is where your proud waves halt.’” (Job 38:8-11)

Of course, the answer to the question is, God Almighty. That’s the point… God was reminding Job of his own smallness within the grandeur of God’s creation (nevertheless, Job was uniquely significant to God, as each soul is uniquely significant to The Creator).

As God made a provision for life to be sustained by water, He also defined the limits of water’s potentially lethal encroachment. God “fixed limits for it”, using the continents… the doorways to new discoveries, nations, and peoples. Did God restrict anything else in the creation story? Perhaps you may remember God restricting Adam and Eve eating the fruit from the Tree of Knowledge. God told them if they ate the fruit from the tree, they would die. However, they ate and continued to live. It was at that point, though, that something did die within humanity: innocence. Ever since the death of innocence, rebellion has been passed down to every child within the human race.

We get a picture of a child’s innocence for a couple of years… then the terrible two’s hit. Need I say more? “This far you may come” was not just for the oceans and seas. It is for us to see and appreciate the restraining love of God’s wisdom. God provided water as the source and sustenance for life; without it, no living thing would survive. In the same way, God made a provision for our thirsty souls to drink deeply from God’s reservoir of grace, sustaining our faith in Him. There are no restrictions to how often or how deeply one may drink. It’s free! And the source never runs dry.

Have a blessed day…

“Tell me, if you understand…” Job 38:4b

God released an avalanche of questions to Job, and they weren’t necessarily rhetorical either. Today, we will look at the first three:

1.     “Where were you when I laid the earth’s foundation? Tell me, if you understand.” (v.4) Any architect will tell you there is no construction without a plan, and there is no plan without a purpose. God’s first question reveals He had both a purpose and a plan for earth’s existence, just as He has a plan for every human life made in His image.

2.     “Who marked off its dimensions? Surely you know!” (v.5) Scientists have been amazed how perfect the earth’s size, distance from the sun, orbit, and make-up all combine to provide a perfect environment for life. If the earth were much bigger, it would affect its orbit around the sun which could possibly alter seasonal temperatures. If the earth’s distance from the sun were changed, life on earth would possibly either freeze to death or roast to death! We live in a perfect location… and we all know it’s all about location!

3.     “On what were its footings set, or who laid its cornerstone while the morning stars sang together and all the angels shouted for joy?” (v.6) As I said in the first point, God had a plan, and I believe He let all Heaven in on it: designing earth for a great Heavenly drama which would lead to Heaven’s coronation of an eternal King! Have you ever wondered why the morning stars sang together and the angels shouted for joy? It’s because, before the fall of man, all creation and all the angels delighted in the joy of knowing God’s plan for His perfect creation – a creation that will be restored upon Christ’s return.

These three questions echo through thousands of years to reach our hearts today. Do you believe this life originated by chance? That all we see happened by some cosmic accident? Life makes no sense whatsoever without the biblical perspective of God’s plan and purpose. His plan included you and His purpose for that was to surprise you with the joy of His salvation through Jesus Christ. The Bible actually makes sense… there is a crimson thread of redemption throughout pointing to The Savior, Jesus Christ.

Tell me, if you understand, God’s plan and purpose for your life and how God is working in and through you to achieve it. I look forward to hearing from you. Post below.

Have a blessed day…

“Brace yourself like a man…” Job 38:3a

Manning-up is no new concept. I love how God breathed this phrase in Job’s story. Basically, God told Job to ‘man-up’… to face Him without quivering. You see, evidently, during the dialogue between Job and Elihu, a rather large storm developed. Both Job and Elihu used the storm as an illustration in their ‘arguments’. Then suddenly God spoke out of the storm (v.1).

It must have been an incredibly frightening experience – to hear God’s voice clearly speaking from the storm’s rumblings. And what did Job and those present hear? They heard God address Job directly, asking, “Who is this that darkens my counsel with words without knowledge?” (v.2) If it were me, I would have dropped to my knees. Not from reverence, but from sheer terror! Job may have done the same. In any case, God quickly disarmed Job’s expectations to present his case before Heaven.

The Almighty quickly pressed Job’s ‘reset’ button with the words, “Brace yourself like a man; I will question you, and you shall answer me.” (v.3) In other words, Job would be denied any expectation to state his complaints. Job was reminded just Who was in charge, and it wasn’t Job almighty.

Perhaps that’s what we need to know today and every day. God is still in control. He’s in charge, we’re not. He can make all things work together for the good… even the horror mankind inflicts upon each other. If He used the crucifixion to bring salvation to man, and the resurrection to bring eternal life, He is able to bring some form of healing to this world through the recent series of events.

How are we to demonstrate our confidence in Him for our lives today? As we live, move and breathe, we do the possible and trust Him for the impossible. We may even do the ordinary, while trusting Him to bring about the extraordinary. We do what we are naturally equipped to do and trust God to do the supernatural.

Brace yourself like the man or woman God designed you to be and forge on in life. Trust God daily, taking up your cross as you follow Him (Matthew 16:24). Only He can make all things new again (Revelation 21:5).

Have a blessed day…

“Then The Lord answered Job…” Job 38:1a

Through the past thirty-seven chapters of Job, we have witnessed Job’s trauma and anguish – multiplied by the visit of his accusing friends. Job could not make sense of why such destructive catastrophes had struck his household, destroying his family and business. His world view would never have predicted the sad state of affairs in which he found himself immersed. He was a man of great faith and of the highest integrity, and bad things just didn’t happen to good people good. Or did he just not pay attention to reality? Job had no solution to his problem of suffering, demanding an audience with The Almighty as he repeatedly proclaimed his integrity and steadfastness of faith in God.

How will God answer Job? Will God provide an answer to explain Job’s recent devastation? SPOILER ALERT: in chapters 38 – 41, God says NOTHING about Job’s problems, his losses, or his anguish. Instead God DOES speak to Job about creation and how it reflects His wisdom and power. In the days ahead, we will discover a vitally missing precept in the thinking of most people today: this world is broken! And it’s been broken since the fall of man in The Garden of Eden. All the trouble going on in our own time – it’s a product of a broken world order.

Henry M. Morris, in his book, The Wonder of It All, states: “…a correct and complete doctrine of creation is the answer to all the problems that burden this present hurting world.” Morris contends that the four-chapter address to Job by God is the climax of the book’s message and is unparalleled to anything else in the Bible*. God’s own words provide the key to living victoriously through the episodes of pain, upheaval, turbulence, destruction, sorrow and hopelessness.

Tune-in through these four chapters and discover with me some awesome answers relative to our own time. Until then,

Have a blessed day…

*The Wonder of It All, by Morris, Henry M.; ©2000 by New Leaf Press / Master Books, Green Forest Arkansas. ISBN: 0-89221-493-7

“…God comes in awesome majesty.” Job 37:22b

Though young Elihu continued to dispense his wisdom on knowing God. So, he presented two rhetorical questions, the second, to show the absurdity of the first (v.20). If anyone dared to interject his/her complaint before God, then certain destruction was likely. To clarify his point, Elihu used the brilliance of the sun to compare with God’s presence… especially after winds have dispersed dust and clouds from covering it (v.21). We cannot bear to look upon the sun. How, then, could one begin to look upon Almighty God?

Elihu asserted that God was beyond the reach of man, and is exalted in power upon Heaven’s throne (v.23a). Mankind worships God for His great righteousness and justice, which is exercised without oppressing humanity (vv.23b-24a). God breathed through Elihu the certainty of God’s high regard for those who are wise in heart… those who have embraced His holy way for living (v.24b).

Elihu’s description points to the returning Christ – as The One Who conquered death and hell, vanquishing the power of sin over man. Jesus, Emanuel, God with us… will come in awesome majesty as King of kings and Lord of lords. His arrival is the crowning moment of God’s relentless pursuit of man – made in His image.

Though God is exalted in power, He is not beyond the reach of man. In fact, He’s as close as the mention of His name… Jesus. Call out to Him and He will answer. Share your heart’s burden, for He will surely ease it.

Have a blessed day…

“…stop and consider God’s wonders.” Job 37:14b

Drawing very close to the soon to be heard words of God, Elihu continues to draw Job’s attention to God’s handiwork – almost as a prelude to the coming appointment with The Almighty. Young Elihu instructs Job (and any who had come to see and hear the intervention of Job’s friends – intervention is not a recent or new idea) to stop… to cease from striving… to discontinue any further conjecture as to the purposes behind the catastrophes he had faced… and to abandon any efforts toward a face-off with The Almighty.

Then Elihu redirected Job’s attention to the wonders of God’s creation, namely the skies and clouds floating among them. Although modern man has unlocked the mystery of the water cycle, in Job’s day it was a marvel to behold. Elihu challenged Job’s ability to completely understand how God controls the clouds which release their powerful bolts of lightning upon the earth (v.15), much less how those clouds laden with water continue to float in the air (v.16).

Confronting Job further, Elihu queries if Job were able to spread-out the skies – which, to him, appeared as solid as a mirror of cast bronze (v.18). God breathed through Elihu a biblical precept which has been denied, argued and rejected for eons: the depravity of man. After provoking Job to instruct everyone on how to confront God, Elihu postured the precept with these words: “…we cannot draw-up our case because of our darkness.” (v.19b) Elihu may have hinted at Job’s own inherent depravity with the words, “You who swelter in your clothes when the land lies hushed under the south wind…” (v.17). In other words, we are made finite, human, and one’s own stench belies one’s imperfection.

We live in an age when everyone is told they are good, strong, pretty, etc., which is fine for building up a child’s self-esteem, but spiritually lethal to carry into adulthood. Even in these days, we see all too well the depravity of humanity bent on destruction. And everyone of us is born with that tendency. We may not like it… we may avoid its reality… we may even deny it… yet, it is within each and every living soul.

The depravity of man is essential for understanding one’s need for a savior. We are unable to save ourselves. However, God is able. In fact, the very reason Christ came to earth was for the purpose of reconciling the brokenness of mankind to the perfect love of God. God’s love is always greater than one’s deepest sin, always higher than one’s pride, always wider than the lengths one takes to avoid or run away from God’s love. He loves you with a love none other is able to provide or sustain.

Stop and consider God’s wonders… and the most breathtaking wonder of all: He gave His only Son that whoever believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life! (John 3:16)

Have a blessed day…

“At this my heart pounds…” Job 37:1a

If Elihu were alive in our time, he may have very well become a weather man. He was not only inspired by a storm’s immensity; its power and force were all too evident to be missed as wrought by the hand of God:

• It’s approaching rumble is like the sound of a prophet exclaiming, “Thus saith the Lord!” (v.2);

• The reach of God’s power is like the lighting bolts which reach from the highest height to the earth (v.3);

• Everyone knows thunder follows lightning, and it reflects the power of God’s voice when He holds nothing back – revealing new things in His time (v.4);

• It was God’s voice which spoke all creation into existence; and it is His voice which continues to perform wonders beyond our understanding – which we cannot even begin to see (v.5);

• God directs the water cycle in a variety of ways, releasing precipitation which not only cleanses the earth, it
  slows down man’s steps to consider God’s power and majesty (vv. 6 – 7; in Job’s day, work actually stopped, where in our day precipitation creates enough hazard for travel that it slows things down a bit);

• The animals God created were given enough sense to know when to seek shelter from the wet weather (v.8);

• The broad changes in weather patterns are more noticeable during extreme changes – as when it gets so cold that large lakes and rivers freeze over, demonstrating to mankind that all of nature is subservient to God’s command (v.9); and

• Even the clouds obey where God directs their path; bringing judgment upon some through the destructive power of lightning, and blessing to others through the nourishment of the water (vv. 11 – 13).

To Elihu, lightning was God’s way of gaining the undivided attention of everyone, and thunder was the divine language of Heaven announcing the uncontestable power of The Almighty. Nature’s activity made Elihu’s heart skip a beat. Have you ever been surprised by an unexpected clap of thunder? Internally, you are quite aware that danger is close at hand and shelter is necessary. It’s almost as if God is arriving and we have to hide our face from God’s glory – it’s just too much for us to take.

At this my heart pounds, too! As you take in the wonder of God’s creation, may your heart take a leap of joy in new discoveries of God’s grace.

Have a blessed day…

“All mankind has seen it…” Job 36:25a

In a moment of wonderment, Elihu ascribed praise to God’s greatness, stating:

“All mankind has seen it; men gaze on it from afar. How great is God – beyond our understanding! The number of His years is past finding out. He draws up the drops of water, which distill as rain to the streams; the clouds pour down their moisture and abundant showers fall on mankind. Who can understand how He
spreads out the clouds, how He thunders from His pavilion? See how He scatters His lightning about Him, bathing the depths of the sea. This is the way He governs the nations and provides food in abundance. He fills His hands with lightning and commands it to strike its mark. His thunder announces the coming storm; even the cattle make known its approach.” (vv. 25 – 33)

God was working in the mind of Elihu to prepare Job for the moment when He would speak. This part of Elihu’s argument was incontestable. All people have been awestruck at the dynamics within our ecosystem we call this world. God’s years cannot be counted, for He is, was, and always shall be. While Elihu used the water cycle and thunderstorms to provide his example of God’s greatness, when even a cow may make known the danger of an approaching storm. Sheep and cattle may often huddle together before an approaching storm, cueing the farmer to shelter them.

As a boy, I remember lying on the ground with my best friend and looking up to the sky to watch the lightning zig-zag across the night sky. It was hypnotic. We would stay as long as we could and then go inside to watch the spectacle through the safety of a window. We were usually startled by a big clap of thunder close by
when we scampered to safety inside. God’s handiwork is a wonder to behold: sunrises, sunsets, dust storms, clouds, wildlife, ocean surf, wind through the trees… each has a majesty and beauty all its own. All mankind has seen it!

What is your favorite way to see God in nature? Does it bring you to a moment of worship? If so, then you are doing what you were created to do… give God glory, praise and honor!

Have a blessed day…

“Remember to extol His work…” Job 36:24a

Moving from accuser to extoller, Elihu reminded Job that God’s power places Him in control at the highest place (v.22a), unique before all creation – His textbook for teaching mortal man (v.22b). He then challenged Job to find anyone who had ever given God direction or reprimand (v.23).

God breathed into Elihu the purpose for all humanity: that we should remember to extol His work – recognizing The Lord as both the source and sustainer of all that there is. And one way God’s works are remembered is by singing poetic verse (v.24).

“How Great is Our God” is one of the most popular worship songs in recent years. It surrounded the globe as saints gathered in worship, ascribing praise to The Creator through song. Louis Giglio used it in a creative presentation describing the magnitude of God’s creativity as shown in the size of the stars. Here is a link to it:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aI9KQ5YDNbA

The song was released by Chris Tomlin in 2004. I was an associate pastor at a church in New Mexico at the time. My responsibilities were the worship ministries, evangelism, and preaching once a month. We began incorporating the song in our worship and it quickly became a church favorite. The song reminded us to extol
our Lord in song for His uniqueness in strength and character: wrapping Himself in light and remaining steadfast from age to age. The song echoed with the encouragement for worshippers to sing to each other the greatness of God.

This Sunday, remember to extol His work from a heart overflowing with thanksgiving, and remind others to do the same.

Have a blessed day…

“Beware of turning to evil…” Job 36:21a

As Elihu was continuing his contrasts between the righteous and the wicked, he stated how the godless harbor resentment – even when God surrounds them… they’re too proud to call for help (v.13). Elihu contended that such wicked people die in their youth among male temple prostitutes (v.14). Yet, Job was already an older man and did not fit that mold at all.

However, God did breathe truth in Elihu’s next statement: “But those who suffer He delivers in their suffering; He speaks to them in their affliction.” (v.15) While God may have breathed truth in that moment, Elihu was setting-up Job to entice a confession. Elihu’s intentions were deceitful. He went on to tell Job how God was “wooing” him from the jaws of distress (v.16a), which would lead to a wide place with no restrictions; where Job could enjoy a lavish meal at his own table (v.16b&c).

Job was suddenly jerked back into reality by the young man’s next statement: “But now you are laden with the judgment due the wicked; judgment and justice have taken hold of you.” (v.17) Job could not get any rest from the band of accusers around him. One moment, Elihu was painting a pretty picture for Job, only to pull the happiness rug out from under him to indict him for the wickedness of challenging God.

Possibly revealing his own covetousness, Elihu asked Job, “Would your wealth or even all your mighty efforts sustain you so you would not be in distress?” (v.19) He advised Job not to long for the night when people are dragged away from their homes (v.20), and then accused Job of preferring evil over affliction, saying,
“Beware of turning to evil, which you seem to prefer to affliction.” (v.21) Elihu’s accusations were becoming sharper than those given by Job’s visitors.

One could say there was some measure of truth in Elihu’s warning to Job, for all people should beware of turning to evil. Such warnings should be given in a spirit of love and encouragement, not from a heart of malice or an accusing spirit. How does this passage lead us to a higher walk?

First, God does speak to us in our affliction, assuring us of His steadfast love and His supply of grace which will carry us through life’s struggles. His grace is sufficient in all things. We can trust His plan and His purposes. Secondly, it can never be said enough that God’s children of light should beware of turning to evil. Our natural selves are prone to wander… like a sheep looking for the greener pasture. It is in those moments when one is likely to be caught in a trap or fall into a great abyss from which s/he will be helpless to escape. Third, should a Believer find one who had been caught in one of evil’s traps, the faith-walker should be the first to come to the aid of the desperate soul and offer rescue.

We are the only Jesus some will ever see.

Have a blessed day…

“…He enthrones them with kings…” Job 36:7b

Elihu requested forbearance from his listeners, to further prove his argument on God’s behalf (vv. 1 – 2). Evidently, he was well traveled, bragging of his wisdom coming from far away (v.3), and which he would use in support of God’s right to judge. Elihu assured his audience that his words were true, being perfect in
knowledge (v.4)! Could pride be coming before destruction? Those were pretty heady words, coming from a young man.

Remember, God may breathe truth within the words of man… even when that man may be overconfident in his own ability and knowledge. Elihu described God as being mighty and firm in His purpose, while also esteeming man, made in His image (v.5). In other words, man could never thwart or alter God’s purposes which he outlined:

• the wicked are not kept alive (v.6a);

• the afflicted are assured their rights of survival (v.6b);

• His watch-care over the righteous never lapses (v.7a);

• the righteous are exalted forever and enthroned with kings (v.7b);

• those who sin arrogantly are held in cords of affliction (vv. 8 – 9);

• those who have sinned will be forced to hear correction and God’s command to repent (v. 10);

• those obedient to God live out lives in prosperity and contentment (v.11); and

• those who are disobedient to God perish by the sword and die in their ignorance (v.12).

Once again, then, we have a summary of a ‘just world’ view: the good are rewarded with good things; the bad are punished and suffer. Elihu had not provided any new or fresh insights from afar. This world view was so predominant for Job and his visitors, that they could not seem to get past the idea of bad things happening to good people… or even worse, bad things happening to God’s people. They were stuck in a faulty world view.

How much real truth do we see in Elihu’s description? Wicked people thrive, even in our day; human rights are being taken around the world; those who sin do so without restraint; though the wicked may hear God’s Word calling for repentance, they are hardly forced to hear it; followers of God’s way are often hindered from living freely, and are often robbed and mistreated (just look at what is happening in China); and the wicked rarely perish by the sword.

The nuggets of truth God breathed through Elihu are of God’s might, his love for mankind and his ceaseless watch-care over His children. It is not the righteous that will be exalted forever, it is The Lord, Jesus Christ Who is enthroned as King of Kings! Those made righteous by His blood will enjoy the benefits of belonging in His eternal kingdom!

Ask God to expose any faulty world view you may embrace. If you have never done so, confess that you are a sinner and thank Jesus for paying the price for those sins. Invite Jesus into your heart of hearts and thank Him for the hope of Heaven… that’s the gospel truth. You can depend on it. You won’t be enthroned as a King, but you will get to worship the King of Kings!

Have a blessed day…

“…’Where is God my Maker?’…” Job 35:10a

As Elihu continued to chastise Job for making God out to be wrong, he also reprimanded Job for speaking inappropriately about his lack of access to The Almighty. In fact, Elihu stated no one would dare ask, “’Where is God my Maker, Who gives songs in the night?’” (v.10). To Elihu, the thought of asking such a question was unconscionable. He provided support to his argument, stating God teaches mankind more than the beasts of the field or the birds of the air (v.11).

Elihu gave Job a reason why God would not answer Job’s plea for a hearing:

“…the arrogance of the wicked. Indeed, God does not listen to their empty plea; The Almighty pays no attention to it. How much less, then, will He listen when you say that you do not see Him, that your case is before Him and you must wait for Him. And further, that His anger never punishes and He does not take the least notice of wickedness.” (vv. 12 – 15)

Do you see what I see? Elihu had already exposed his own bias against Job, accusing him of scorn and contempt for the poor (see 34:7-28), and then heaps upon Job an additional charge of arrogance (v.12b). Summing up his feelings about Job’s demand for an audience with God, Elihu stated Job’s talk was nothing but empty words without knowledge (v.16)! Remember… he was standing right in front of Job, the man who had lost his children, his means to make a living, his inventory of livestock, and was close to losing his own life. Yet, the visitors and Elihu demonstrated no real compassionate response to Job’s devastation and shock.

The unfortunate thing for Job was Elihu wasn’t finished! (see 36:1-2) While Elihu played the spiritual correctness policeman, God may have actually welcomed Job’s cries. Like a child crying out for his parent, Job was seeking recourse through the only means he knew how… much like a crying infant does when in need of a diaper change or nourishment. Unlike parents who grow weary from the stress of a ready response for a crying infant, our God never slumbers or sleeps (Psalm 121:4)!

Surely, God welcomes the cries of His children – made in His very image and helpless to do nothing else but cry out to God for recourse, for intervention, for defense, and for preservation. Like a parent who boasts of His children, so God had placed Job in the center of satan’s target. God was never surprised, disappointed or puzzled by Job’s response. He knows the limits of man’s physical and emotional stress, designing us with emotional outlets for appealing to Him from the heart.

So, never be afraid to cry out and ask, “Where is God my Maker?”, for He is as close as the mention of His name… and He will provide you soothing songs in the night to comfort and encourage your heart.

Have a blessed day…

“…do you think it’s fair…?” Job 35:2a (NIRV)

Addressing Job on the fairness of his statements, Elihu asked Job on the appropriateness of his firm stance of innocence before God, which (in their time) indicted God’s actions as judge. When is it ever fair for any man to say such a thing? How could we come anywhere close to having the understanding, the breadth of knowledge, and the wisdom to assert that type of thinking before God. Elihu then reminded Job about
his pondering of what little profit there was to refrain from sinning (vv. 1 – 3).

Offering his own perspective on Job’s ramblings (God can even breathe truth in one’s ramblings!), Elihu asserted one’s actions, bad or good, only effect people – that they have no effect upon God or His Kingdom (vv. 4 – 8). It seems a rather reckless statement to me… we are unable to know just how one person’s evil reverberates throughout the universe. If Adam’s and Eve’s sin of rebellion brought the fall of creation, and our sinful nature is a result of their sin, what does our sin yield? We have no way of knowing just how broad the effects of our sin reach… it would be like trying to follow every feather emptied from a feather pillow on a windy day. God have mercy on us.

Getting back to Elihu’s query to Job about the fairness of asserting his innocence over God’s right to judge (which was, as we know, an erroneous assumption on Elihu’s part). Job never denied God’s right to judge. In fact, he wanted God to judge him and clear his name. Job wanted to have his world make sense again… because in his heart of hearts, he, too, was stuck in a religious system of reward and punishment. Job was learning about faith in and through the sequence of events which had occurred.

Let me ask you, reader, this question: Do you think it’s fair for your children to vent in front of you? Do they have the understanding of their parents to know when they’ve had a bad day, a moment of crisis, or a complete breakdown of understanding their world? Is it fair for others to vent in front of you? Will you allow others that moment? If so, how will you respond?

If you have children, you will understand what I am about to say: children know just what buttons to push to either get your attention or to inflame an issue in order to get their way. God, as our Father, us understands better than we understand ourselves. He knows all too well what emotional venting is… He created us to be able to do just that – vent. Elihu was playing judge and jury on the appropriateness of the timing and scope of Job’s venting. We’ve all done the same thing… judging others on their words, their emotional outbursts, etc.

Sure, adults have unwritten acceptable codes of public conduct which most think are universally accepted and understood… but they’re not. And for that reason, children of God must make the effort to at least seek to understand another’s moment of emotional flooding. You may disagree with me completely. Yes, there should be socially accepted norms of behavior, but how are people of faith to respond when those norms are breached? Consider and pray on this.

Have a blessed day…