Job begins to see the light

The Book of Job Chapter 37 & 38

Elihu is still speaking to Job and tells him to listen to God's voice as it rolls like thunder from his mouth. He tells Job how very great God is as he directs the snow, rain to earth and sends his breath in ice and loads the clouds with moisture. He causes things to happen, either as a punishment or as a sign of his unfailing love. He tells Job to stop and consider the miracles of God and that he cannot imagine the power of the Almighty, yet he is merciful and just and does not oppress his people. No wonder people fear him; people who are wise show him reverence.

In Chapter 38, God challenges Job with a series of questions which no human could possibly answer. Job responds by recognizing that God's ways are best.
The Lord answered Job from a whirlwind and asked him where he (Job) was when God laid the foundations of the earth? Do you know, God asks, what dimensions were determined and who did the surveying. And what supports its foundations and who laid its cornerstone? Who defined the boundaries of the sea and told the proud waves to stop at the shore? Who told the daylight to spread to the ends of the earth and bring and end to night's wickedness? Do you know where the gates of Death are located? Do you realize the extent of the earth? God goes on to describe where hail comes from and light and wind and rain and dew. And the movement of the stars and the seasons and the laws of the universe. He challenges Job to shout and make it rain, to make lightning appear, to count the clouds or provide food for the ravens when they hunger.

BIBLE NOTES SHOW: God states that he has all the forces of nature at his command and he can unleash or restrain them at will. Only God who created them has that power. His point was that if Job could not explain such common events in nature, how could he possible explain or question God? God was not seeking answers from Job, but was getting Job to recognize and submit to God's power and sovereignty. Only then could Job hear what God was really saying to him.

HOW DOES THIS CHAPTER RELATE TO US TODAY? Chapter 39 is a very visual image. Imagine if you can, that God's voice is describing all these miraculous things in a voice like thunder. And skinny, dying Job is being humbled before God and submitting to God's authority. His own voice is silent. He does not plead his case. These verses don't tell us where Satan is at this time. But I like to think he high-tailed it out of Dodge when he realized Job, despite his misery, was an innocent man. God, however, is not through with Job as we see in the next couple of chapters.

Yours in Christ,
Mary

Prayer Requests are needed for:
HEALTH:
Update on my niece Suzanne, she is out of rehab after many months for a crushed leg and doing well and being cared for by her ex. Pray for Gabe and Wanda. Pray for Janice Long’s parents, especially her mother who faces another round of chemotherapy and her father with Alzheimer’s and now her mother in law also with Alzheimer’s. Their family is feeling the strain both emotionally and financially. Pray for them. Update on this family: Her mother-in-law is being taken to Oklahoma to live with an aunt who will care for her.
Pray for Arlene’s nephew David and for my neighbor Al who is nearing the end of his life.
Pray for Carolyn’s brother Ronald who has cancer.
Pray for our friend Michelle who was diagnosed with MS.
Update on my cousin Diane who had total mastectomy surgery for breast cancer. She is doing fine and will not need chemo because hers was not an aggressive type of cancer. We will remove her from the prayer list. Thanks to all who prayed for her – prayers do work!
UPDATE on Barb who went in for back surgery and had a heart attack and stroke, she has her speech back and is home , but continues to have a problem with one arm and hand. Thanks to your prayers, she is able to hobble without a cane and has been granted disability. She still has surgery scheduled on her hand, but I saw her recently and her attitude is fantastic.
Pray for Robert Sargent who is quite ill with lung cancer.
Pray for Judy’s husband who was recently diagnosed with prostate cancer. Pray for her too, that she can deal with the side effects of his illness.
Pray too for Charly’s husband Robert who is undergoing chemo for his prostate cancer. Update on Robert: he has one more treatment and then three months of waiting for his psat test to come back clean.
Pray for John’s recovery from a heart attack and for the doctors who have difficulty diagnosing his other symptoms.
Pray for James’s sister Cynthia whose chemo has lost its effect as the cancer grows powerful.
Pray for another friend named Carolyn whose faith remains strong, but is lost and confused about where and how to spend her elder years.
SPIRITUAL UPLIFTING: Gail, Mary
RESTORATION OF FAITH: Al, John
LOVE AND SUPPORT: Claire, Hunter, Brian
SUPPORT: Haiti, Chile, survivors of Japan’s earthquake, survivors of the devastating tornadoes in our southernmost states and Joplin, Missouri. Pray too, for our country’s leaders and our military people who die each day for our freedom.