Welcome to a group of women who's goal is to encourage each other to put down some serious roots in the Word of God. This blog is dedicated to reading through the Bible in a year. Hopefully you will find the encouragement and accountability here that you need to push through the tough parts- or when life just gets in the way. The reading plan is located at the bottom of the blog. It contains links to the passages we are reading through biblegateway.com. You can use those links or read your own Bible, whichever you prefer.
We are all members of Oak Hill Baptist Church in Griffin, Georgia and felt the need in our own life for a little bit of the Lord's splendor. Please join us!!

Monday, June 27, 2011

Have you? Do you? Can you? Will you?

Have you ever been involved in a one-sided conversation that went on and on and on? As if the other person did not know (or care) that you were there? There are several choices we have in a situation like that. We can choose to believe it is not worth our time and walk away. We can get angry and raise our voices in attempt to make a point. We can bide our time and just listen and hope we get a turn in a few minutes (or hours).

After reading 37 chapters of Job, I feel like we've been watching a one sided conversation between Job (and his friends) and God. Job and his friends had plenty to say. Job even talked to God at various points through his dissertations. As Jaybrena mentioned, I too believe that God showed incredible patience when listening to these five men carry on their conversations and debate.

Well, now it's God's turn! Finally...

God announces Himself to job, immediately conveys his position of authority, and lets Job know what is expected of him. God clearly tells Job that He will ask the questions and Job has to answer (not the other way around). It was actually quite refreshing to me to finally hear God's words instead of the counselors. I have to be honest and say that while reading many of these chapters, I often questioned whether what was being spoken was truth, falsehoods, sarcasm, or something else all together. I'm thankful that we can trust in God's Word to be truth!

God's message in chapters 38 and 39 clearly tell us that He is in control of all things at all times. The form of His questions infer that Job was not (and we are not) in control. These are some of my favorite passages about God's omnipotence, omniscience and omnipresence. I also appreciate the details God provides and the way He communicates so that Job (and we) can understand. These are some of my favorite questions:
  • 38:8-11 Who shut the sea behind doors... when I said, "This far you may come and no farther; here is where your proud waves halt"? God is in control of where each wave stops on all of the beaches in the world. I hope I remember to praise God for that the next time my toes are in the sand.
  • 38:22 Have you entered the storehouses of the snow or seen the storehouses of the hail? I love the visual image of this question. Storehouses are something our finite minds can grasp.
  • 39:1-3 Do you know when the mountain goats give birth?... Do you count the months till they bear? God is there when ALL creatures are conceived and are born. He is in complete control of that amazing process!
As I read of God silencing Job and his four "friends", I am challenged to be still and listen for God's voice. We know that God was there listening to Job's cries for help and to the "interesting" conversations. I can't help but think that the constant human conversation hindered all of them from seeking and hearing God's voice.

Lord teach us to be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry. (James 1:19) We praise you Father for your creation and sovereignty!
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5 comments:

  1. JaybrenaJune 27, 2011 at 8:25 AM

    I have to confess that I got carried away and read past today's selection of chapters!!! :) I love this part, and it's been a long time coming.
    I like how you pulled some of those questions out, Terry. My children have asked about pets having babies and where the hail comes from.....it's nice to have these chapters to refer to. What a blessing this book has been to me!!!

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  2. BarbaraJune 27, 2011 at 9:55 AM

    What a beautiful post Terry. I too was tired of hearing Job and his friends talk and could not wait to hear God speak. I love all the references to nature and how God is in control of all things seen and unseen. It gives me such peace, and the beauty in which God speaks with authority is majestic. It's almost a sacred "behind the scenes" sort of thing to me. If only we could "see" where the hail is stored or when wild animals give birth. How awesome is that. How comforting to know God is there, our all in all.

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  3. BootsJune 27, 2011 at 12:08 PM

    One of the things that hit me and caused me to wonder about was the waves hitting the shore. So many things we take for granted and don't give a thought that it is God that is doing it. I am sure we have all been to the beach but have you ever gave a thought about how the waves come up to a certain point and then go back? Have you ever gave a thought of what would happen if they never stopped but just kept rolling in? I have never ever thought of either of these things. It is so interesting and great how God takes care of even the smallest things and it is for our enjoyment. Today I am thanking God for the little things we take for granted.

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  4. MindyJune 27, 2011 at 10:47 PM

    You have NO POSSIBLE IDEA how much experience I have with those conversations that go on and on as if you are not there!!!!! Anybody know the Habelts at all?!?!? I almost always have to go with option "C" which usually just results in me doing all the listening and I never really get a turn to talk!!! :) Anyway, we have all waited for awhile for God's turn to speak, which is a lot of what I referred to in my post from this past Saturday. These chapters are just awesome and breathtaking!!! I am reminded of recently watching the movie "Secretariat" and that they quote at the beginning of the movie from the book of Job where God is talking about how He created the horse and all its beauty. AMAZING WORDS from the Lord!!!!

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  5. NatalieJune 28, 2011 at 10:38 AM

    God is God and I am not. That is what hit home for me from today's reading! No matter what happens in life- that fact will always reamain true.

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