The resources God has given us to live a thriving life are His Word, Spirit, and People.
Read God’s Word:
Job 40:6 – 42:17, Psalm 29
Act 2: God’s Covenant People
Scene 1: The People: God calls a covenant people
Background Information: Job 40:6 – 42:17, Psalm 29
Seemingly chaotic natural forces are under the Lord’s command. It is through a storm that the Lord finally speaks to Job. Think about a thunderstorm’s power. The winds, the rain, and the lightning can be destructive. Its effects can seem to be random, but they are not. God controls the weather, the planets, the animal world, all of it. The behemoth and leviathan are believed by some to be stylized ways of talking about the hippopotamus and crocodile. Some believe they were dinosaurs, since Job lived very early in human history. Finally, some believe they are poetic/cultural depictions of death and the enemy of God, Satan. The point of these creatures in Job is that even the most destructive and overwhelming things humans can face are on a leash, and God holds that leash. The terror of death, the attacks of Satan, storms and natural chaos, are tamed puppies in relationship to the God who made them all. Job doesn’t get a direct answer to his question, but he does understand that the cosmos is complex. He is in no position to question how God runs it–and runs it he does. God’s initial goodness to Job was not earned, his suffering was not earned, and the later restoration was not earned. God gives and God takes, blessed be the name of the Lord. God challenged Job, “Will you discredit me to justify yourself?” The question we must ask when we suffer is this: “Will I fight in my own heart for the honor of God?” Take your struggles to Jesus; he is able to strengthen your heart. Remember, he calmed a storm with the words, “Quiet, be still.”
Pray:
Praise God for…
Thank God for…
Confess your sins to God
Pray for the River mission teams as they beginning raising money for their summer trips. Ask God to provide. Ask God to provide opportunities for them to share the gospel.
Ask God for… (what else concerns you?)
Reflect:
Write down one passage of scripture that stood out to you today.
Write down why this passage stood out to you.
Engage Community:
Text or call someone now and tell them…
– What you are praying for.
– What stood out from God’s word today.