God is not intimidated by our questions. It is our doubt that cripples Him.
We all have questions. About a lot of things. Things like the future, the weather, our relationships, or even as simple as questions about suffering and hardship. God is not intimidated by our questions. Have you ever heard a 10 year old roll off like 10 questions in a row? It sounds like this, "How come?" Or, "But why?" But questions are the way to answers. Sometimes an odd way.
God's Greatest Work Often Happens In Our Greatest Need
Maybe you are asking questions right now about something you are going through. Each of us will experience hardships and feel like everything is against us at some time. But, I have found that God does His greatest work in our time of greatest need. So, if you are in a hardship, it may be the perfect place for God to do His best work. And this help will often come in strange ways. The Book of Job is a poetic narrative about trusting God in our hardships and difficult circumstances. What is interesting is that God will often allow suffering and hardship for His purposes in our life. And, through a flurry of questions, He did exactly that in His conversation with Job.
Have you ever been annoyed by the random musings of a child asking so many questions. My youngest son was the king of questions. He has posed to Jane and I stunners such as, "How are shoes made?" Or, one of my favorites, "Why does God live in heaven?" As I'm sure you can guess, there aren't many answers for these kind of questions.
And yet, the questions of a child are much easier to answer than the questions that come from our relationship with God. Especially when we experience so much suffering and hardship. You might have questions like, "Why does God allow suffering?" Or, "If God is so good, why do bad things happen?" And so, we have this moment in history when God pops the questions about His sovereignty and ability to redeem these things in our life. In a flurry of conversation with Job, God strings together more than 50 questions about His Sovereignty. Each to prove his ability to handle Job's present situation. These questions go beyond a rhetorical conversation. These are meant to convince Job of the greatness of God. And for each of us as readers to know that He can do the same thing in our life.
We all have questions. About a lot of things. Things like the future, the weather, our relationships, or even as simple as questions about suffering and hardship. God is not intimidated by our questions. Have you ever heard a 10 year old roll off like 10 questions in a row? It sounds like this, "How come?" Or, "But why?" But questions are the way to answers. Sometimes an odd way.
God's Greatest Work Often Happens In Our Greatest Need
Maybe you are asking questions right now about something you are going through. Each of us will experience hardships and feel like everything is against us at some time. But, I have found that God does His greatest work in our time of greatest need. So, if you are in a hardship, it may be the perfect place for God to do His best work. And this help will often come in strange ways. The Book of Job is a poetic narrative about trusting God in our hardships and difficult circumstances. What is interesting is that God will often allow suffering and hardship for His purposes in our life. And, through a flurry of questions, He did exactly that in His conversation with Job.Have you ever been annoyed by the random musings of a child asking so many questions. My youngest son was the king of questions. He has posed to Jane and I stunners such as, "How are shoes made?" Or, one of my favorites, "Why does God live in heaven?" As I'm sure you can guess, there aren't many answers for these kind of questions.
And yet, the questions of a child are much easier to answer than the questions that come from our relationship with God. Especially when we experience so much suffering and hardship. You might have questions like, "Why does God allow suffering?" Or, "If God is so good, why do bad things happen?" And so, we have this moment in history when God pops the questions about His sovereignty and ability to redeem these things in our life. In a flurry of conversation with Job, God strings together more than 50 questions about His Sovereignty. Each to prove his ability to handle Job's present situation. These questions go beyond a rhetorical conversation. These are meant to convince Job of the greatness of God. And for each of us as readers to know that He can do the same thing in our life.
What is odd about this conversation and the questions is that they come in the midst of the worst days of Job's life. Kind of an odd way to bring solace.
Questions That Lead To Answers
These questions to Job from God became statements about God’s authority. God’s power. God’s sovereignty. God’s omnipotence, omniscience, and omnipresence. About waves, and oceans, and shorelines. About stars, planets, and galaxies. About the rising sun of the morning and the setting of the giant splendor of the sun. Convincing conversation of the how to hang the earth in space, and the creation of the universe and the heavens. About how eagles fly, lions roar, and horses gallop across the earth. About the creation of man and woman and our intricacies that balance our human existence. And finally, about the creation of mankind and ultimate eternity from birth through death.
And what God is trying to get across to Job (and to you and me), is that He can handle it. He can handle anything. In Job's (or my or your) trials, the story isn't ever complete. God is great at writing the story and is more concerned about our spiritual lives than the suffering we are going through physically. In other words, He will do whatever it takes to get the glory out of our lives. And in the end, through all of the hardship and difficulty, God has a peculiar way of far surpassing the losses of Job.
And don't forget. Our questions can lead us to answers. An odd way to solace.
And what God is trying to get across to Job (and to you and me), is that He can handle it. He can handle anything. In Job's (or my or your) trials, the story isn't ever complete. God is great at writing the story and is more concerned about our spiritual lives than the suffering we are going through physically. In other words, He will do whatever it takes to get the glory out of our lives. And in the end, through all of the hardship and difficulty, God has a peculiar way of far surpassing the losses of Job.
And don't forget. Our questions can lead us to answers. An odd way to solace.
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