God's Power on Display
Job 38:1-5
"Then the LORD answered Job out of the whirlwind, and said, Who is this that darkeneth counsel by words without knowledge? Gird up now thy loins like a man; for I will demand of thee, and answer thou me. Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? declare, if thou hast understanding. Who hath laid the measures thereof, if thou knowest? or who hath stretched the line upon it?"
As we read through the book of Job, we see a faithful man endure hardship and great loss. Job loved God, and even though he did not understand the cause of his suffering and endured the false accusations of his friends, Job remained true to God. But as the trial went on, Job felt forsaken and even targeted by God, and he longed to make his case directly to the Lord: “Oh that I knew where I might find him! that I might come even to his seat! I would order my cause before him, and fill my mouth with arguments” (Job 23:3-4). Yet when God did come, Job's actual response was not argument but submission: “Then Job answered the LORD, and said, Behold, I am vile; what shall I answer thee? I will lay mine hand upon my mouth” (Job 40:3-4).
The transformation in Job's attitude did not occur because God had presented the answer to Job's complaints; in fact, God never explained to Job what was behind his suffering. The transformation in Job's attitude occured when Job saw a demonstration of God's power. God rehearsed the creation of the world and the way He spoke everything into existence. He challenged Job in a way that revealed the extent of God's power and wisdom and compared them to the limitations of human power and wisdom. We live in a culture that promotes self-reliance and exalts the thoughts and feelings of a person over the truth. But God has not changed. He is still right in everything that He does, and it is the height of folly for us to challenge Him with what we think would be better.
Growth Principle:
We must not allow the devil to tempt us to think that we are wiser than God or that our ways are better than His.