Divine Encounters Change Everything
Then Job replied to the LORD:
I know that you can do anything, and no one can stop you.
You asked, 'Who is this that questions my wisdom with such ignorance?'
It is I -- and I was talking about things that I knew nothing about,
Things far too wonderful for me.
You said, 'Listen and I will speak!
I have some questions for you,
And you must answer them.'
I had only heard about you before,
But now I have seen you with my own eyes.
I take back everything I said,
And I sit in dust and ashes to show my repentance." (Job 42:1-6, NLT).
I know that you can do anything, and no one can stop you.
You asked, 'Who is this that questions my wisdom with such ignorance?'
It is I -- and I was talking about things that I knew nothing about,
Things far too wonderful for me.
You said, 'Listen and I will speak!
I have some questions for you,
And you must answer them.'
I had only heard about you before,
But now I have seen you with my own eyes.
I take back everything I said,
And I sit in dust and ashes to show my repentance." (Job 42:1-6, NLT).
The Book of Job is about to conclude and Job finally has a chance to assess himself in light of his encounter with God. Finally, Job gets to hear directly from God!
God has spent a considerable amount of time asking Job a series of questions relating to creation. The questions are meant to highlight the power, sovereignty, might, and wisdom of God as well as the pitiful ignorance of Job as a mere human being.
Job comes to certain stark conclusions:
First, God has boundless power and authority and no one can stop His actions.
Second, We should never question the ways of God because his wisdom is unfathomable and humans are totally ignorant when it comes to divine actions.
Third, until we have a real encounter with God, our knowledge about Him will be faulty and woefully inadequate.
You see: In times of challenges, difficulties, trials, and delays in life, our natural tendency is either to blame God or question His love for us. We ponder: "Does God really care about my situation?" "How come everybody else is prospering or have their prayers answered and mine are not?" "Is it even worth serving God?" "Am I wasting my time living this faithful Christian life when others who are not faithful in their walk seem to be getting all the breaks?"
But: God has a unique plan for every individual. Neither Job nor his friends were privy to that so they speculated in some rather unwise ways.
When Job had the chance to enter the presence of divinity and have a true rather than a speculative knowledge about God, his attitude was completely transformed.
His words are quite telling: "I had only heard about you before, but now I have seen you with my own eyes. I take back everything I said, and I sit in dust and ashes to show my repentance."
The truth is: Personal divine encounters change everything. Set your heart on a true and very personal encounter with God!
God has spent a considerable amount of time asking Job a series of questions relating to creation. The questions are meant to highlight the power, sovereignty, might, and wisdom of God as well as the pitiful ignorance of Job as a mere human being.
Job comes to certain stark conclusions:
First, God has boundless power and authority and no one can stop His actions.
Second, We should never question the ways of God because his wisdom is unfathomable and humans are totally ignorant when it comes to divine actions.
Third, until we have a real encounter with God, our knowledge about Him will be faulty and woefully inadequate.
You see: In times of challenges, difficulties, trials, and delays in life, our natural tendency is either to blame God or question His love for us. We ponder: "Does God really care about my situation?" "How come everybody else is prospering or have their prayers answered and mine are not?" "Is it even worth serving God?" "Am I wasting my time living this faithful Christian life when others who are not faithful in their walk seem to be getting all the breaks?"
But: God has a unique plan for every individual. Neither Job nor his friends were privy to that so they speculated in some rather unwise ways.
When Job had the chance to enter the presence of divinity and have a true rather than a speculative knowledge about God, his attitude was completely transformed.
His words are quite telling: "I had only heard about you before, but now I have seen you with my own eyes. I take back everything I said, and I sit in dust and ashes to show my repentance."
The truth is: Personal divine encounters change everything. Set your heart on a true and very personal encounter with God!
Prayer: Lord, I desire to encounter you in a very personal way. Amen.