The Joy of Glory

Discovering endless joy in the boundless glory of God…

Tag: who

April 15, 2014

Lent Devotional: Job 38

Job 38 (click here)
Then the LORD answered Job out of the whirlwind and said: 2 “Who is this that darkens counsel by words without knowledge? 3 Dress for action like a man; I will question you, and you make it known to me. 4 Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth? Tell me, if you have understanding. (Job 38:1-4)

Reflection
God speaks! If we knew nothing else…this would be grace enough. After so much silence, the Lord speaks to Job, but in a manner for which Job was completely unprepared. Job wanted to question God, but the reverse is what unfolds.

God aims to show Job his human limitations in contrast with God’s own divine limitlessness! Job’s estimation of all that is happening in his life has acted like a blanket of darkness, covering up the light of God’s counsel/plan. Through his questions, God will dispel the darkness, but not in order to reveal his complete plan to Job, but in order to reveal himself!

God doesn’t give Job the “WHY” he wants…he gives Job the “WHO” he needs!

Job may be limited in time and space, but God is not! God has seen all from beginning to end and been present for it all. This means he sees Job and is present with him in his suffering. He knows how his suffering fits into the big picture of history. He knows how Job’s suffering is working for Job an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison!

He knows…and so he can be trusted! When you suffer, you haven’t fallen of God’s radar. He knows, he sees, and he is there with you amidst all the pain. Things may make absolutely no sense from our limited perspective, but from his eternal perspective God promises all things are working for our good and his glory. Trust him.

*The complete SVCC Lenten reading guide is available here.

Leave a comment
April 7, 2014

Lent Devotional: Job 26

Job 26 (click here)
Behold, these are but the outskirts of his ways, and how small a whisper do we hear of him! But the thunder of his power who can understand? (Job 26:14)

Reflection
Job has had enough! He cuts Bildad’s last speech short and we will hear no more from these “friends.” They have tried to explain the ways of God, but Job reminds them that we only see the outskirts of his ways. Yes, God has revealed himself, but he has also concealed himself… and there is much we do not know about his purposes.

God has revealed enough of himself for us to truly trust him, but not so much of himself for us to exhaustively explain him!

We hear enough of his thunder to know that he is powerful, good, and right… but we do not see enough to always know when, where, and why his lightning strikes.

None of this means that we cannot know God or have confidence about who he is. When we say that there is much we do not know about his ways and purposes… we do not mean that we don’t know who he is! He has made himself known… supremely in Jesus. We know WHO, but we don’t always know WHY… the irony is that if you truly know WHO he is, then you are more ok with not always knowing WHY.

*The complete SVCC Lenten reading guide is available here.

Leave a comment