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!