20240715

a committed spirit

Job 37:1-24 (JDV)

Job 37:1 Also, my heart pounds at this and leaps from my chest.
Job 37:2 Just listen to his thunderous voice and the rumbling that comes from his mouth.
Job 37:3 He lets it loose beneath the entire sky; his lightning to the ends of the ground.
Job 37:4 Then there comes a roaring sound; God thunders with his majestic voice. He does not restrain the lightning when his rumbling voice is heard.
Job 37:5 God thunders wondrously with his voice; he does great things that we cannot comprehend.
Job 37:6 Because he says to the snow, “Fall to the ground,” and the torrential rains, his mighty torrential rains,
Job 37:7 serve as his sign to all mankind, so that all men may know his work.
Job 37:8 The wild animals enter their lairs and stay in their dens.
Job 37:9 The windstorm comes from its chamber, and the cold from the driving north winds.
Job 37:10 Ice is formed by the breathing of God, and watery expanses are frozen.
Job 37:11 He saturates clouds with moisture; he scatters his lightning through them.
Job 37:12 They swirl about, turning round and round as he directs, accomplishing everything he commands them over the surface of the ground.
Job 37:13 He causes this to happen for punishment, for his land, or for his faithful love.
Job 37:14 Listen to this, Job. Stop and consider God’s wonders.
Job 37:15 Do you know how God directs his clouds or makes their lightning flash?
Job 37:16 Do you understand how the clouds float, those wonderful works of him who has perfect knowledge?
Job 37:17 You whose clothes get hot when the south wind brings calm to the ground,
Job 37:18 can you help God spread out the skies as firm as a cast metal mirror?
Job 37:19 Teach us what we should say to him; we cannot prepare our case because of our darkness.
Job 37:20 Should he be told that I want to speak? Can a man speak when he is confused?
Job 37:21 Now no one can even look at the sun when it is in the skies, after a wind has swept through and cleared the clouds away.
Job 37:22 Yet out of the north he comes, shrouded in a golden glow; awesome majesty surrounds him.
Job 37:23 The Almighty — we cannot reach him — he is exalted in power! He will not violate justice and abundant righteousness,
Job 37:24 therefore, men fear him. He does not regard any who are wise in heart.

a committed spirit

Elihu insists that God always works wondrous works. the last thing that he expects is that God would sit on the sidelines and wait. But that is what the God of wonders does for Job. The wonder God is showing is the wonder of a committed spirit who stays faithful in spite of tragedy and pain. Job stayed faithful to God because of who God is.

LORD, we trust you for who you are, not just what you do.