Do you trust Him?

Job 42: 1-6 ‘Then Job replied to the LORD: "I know that you can do all things; 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. "You said, 'Listen now, and I will speak; I will question you, and you shall answer me.' My ears had heard of you, but now my eyes have seen you. Therefore I despise myself and repent in dust and ashes."

Job had lost everything…his house, land, livestock, everything he owned…gone. And if that wasn’t enough, every one of his children died and he was inflicted with terrible, painful boils that covered his entire body which we scrapped at with broken pieces of pottery. Three of his best friends and even his wife, all asked him what he had done to deserve such misfortune from God…they all advised him to curse God so that he might die and be removed from any further suffering…But Job refused. In chapter 37, he did however ask God why, in spite of his faithfulness, this was happening. God took the next two chapters to answer:

The Lord spoke to Job out of a storm. He said, “Who do you think you are to disagree with my plans? You do not know what you are talking about. Get ready to stand up for yourself. I will ask you some questions. Then I want you to answer me. “Where were you when I laid the earth’s foundation? Tell me, if you know. Who measured it? I am sure you know! Who stretched a measuring line across it? What was it built on? Who laid its most important stone? When it happened, the morning stars sang together. All of the angels shouted with joy. “Who created the ocean? Who caused it to be born? I put clouds over it as if they were its clothes. I wrapped it in thick darkness. I set limits for it. I put its doors and metal bars in place. I said, ‘You can come this far. But you can’t come any farther. Here is where your proud waves have to stop.’ “Job, have you ever commanded the morning to come? Have you ever shown the sun where to rise? “Have you traveled to the springs at the bottom of the ocean? Have you walked in its deepest parts? Have the gates of death been shown to you? Have you seen the gates of darkness? Do you understand how big the earth is? Tell me, if you know all of those things. “Where does light come from? And where does darkness live? Can you take them to their places? Do you know the paths to their houses? I am sure you know! After all, you were already born! You have lived so many years! “Have you entered the places where the snow is kept? Have you seen the storerooms for the hail? I store up snow and hail for times of trouble. I keep them for days of war and battle. Where does lightning come from? Where do the east winds that blow across the earth live? Who tells the rain where it should fall? Who makes paths for the thunderstorms? They bring water to places where no one lives. They water deserts that do not have anyone in them. They satisfy the needs of dry and empty lands. They make grass start growing there. Does the rain have a father? Who is the father of the drops of dew? Does the ice have a mother? Who is the mother of the frost from the heavens? The waters become as hard as stone. The surface of the ocean freezes over. “Can you tie up the beautiful Pleiades? Can you untie the ropes that hold Orion together? Can you bring out all of the stars in their seasons? Can you lead out the Big Dipper and the Little Dipper? Do you know the laws that govern the heavens? Can you rule over the earth the way I do? “Can you give orders to the clouds? Can you make them pour rain down on you? Do you send the lightning bolts on their way? Do they report to you, ‘Here we are’? Who put wisdom in people’s hearts? Who gave understanding to their minds? Who is wise enough to count the clouds? Who can tip over the water jars of the heavens? I tip them over when the ground becomes hard. I do it when the dirt sticks together. “Do you hunt for food for mother lions? Do you satisfy the hunger of their cubs? Some of them lie low in their dens. Others lie waiting in the bushes. Who provides food for ravens when their babies cry out to me? They wander around because they do not have anything to eat. “Job, do you know when mountain goats have their babies? Do you watch when female deer give birth? Do you count the months until the animals have their babies? Do you know the time when they give birth? They bend their back legs and have their babies. Then their labor pains stop. Their little ones grow strong and healthy in the wild. They leave and do not come home again.”

God didn’t answer Job’s question, instead, God asked Job two chapters worth of questions…not to belittle Job. Not to slap him down for asking such an outrageous question, but I think He wanted to remind Job of what being God and in control was really all about. I love some of the questions God asked Job, because it reminds me of what a great God we serve and that while there’s NO WAY we can ever understand all of the WHY’s of this life, we can rest assured that God IS indeed in control and He cares! Think about that for a minute…our Lord has everything so under control that He has time to count the months until ALL of the animals give birth and to provide food for the lion cubs and the baby ravens. He commands where the ocean’s stop and the lightening appears. What an incredible God we serve and to know that He loves each of us far more than the animals (Matt 6:25-33)! In the end, the Lord restored to Job all that had been taken from him, in fact, God blessed him with twice as much as he had before. But, even if God had not, His power, goodness, mercy, and love would still be the same. God’s OK if we question and wonder why storms and trials come…He’s a big God. He can handle our questions! But, He does want us to remember WHO He is and that He’s ALWAYS in control. He wants us in the midst of whatever storm we are enduring at the moment to put our faith in Him…not in ourselves or ANYTHING of this world. Our God, who is mighty enough to lay the foundations of the Earth, command the oceans where to stop, and show the stars where to shine is also compassionate enough to care for the needs of you and I.

2 Corinthians 4:16-18 ‘Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.’

Philippians 4:12-13 ‘I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through Him who gives me strength.’

In the midst of the storm...when you're bailing water like mad and fighting the current...trying beyond hope to stay afloat...we become distracted by the seemingly urgent situation of the moment and we lose perspective of who really IS in control, how much He really cares for us and the freedom that comes by resting...I mean truly resting in Him.

~ V