Can You Rest With God?

Our world buzzes, a hive of activity. Watch morning television: four anchors, stories about war, the economy, weather, business, sports, entertainment, consumer advice, cooking, movies, music.  The cycle repeats every hour. On the radio people shout news and politics.  Phones blow up with viral videos, courtroom dramas, phishing scams.  There is no peace.

The great saints of the Bible knew peace with God free from the noise of the world, from AMBITION, striving, anxiety, and fear.  Have you experienced Divine Peace?

After Job cursed his birth and argued with God extensively, God showed up.  The encounter with Almighty God calmed Job. This tragic figure who was ready to file a lawsuit against God says:

“How can I answer You?  I place my hand over my mouth. I have spoken once, and I will not reply” 40:4-5.  “I spoke about things I did not understand, things too wonderful for me to know … I had heard rumors about You, but now my eyes have seen You. Therefore I take back my words” Job 42:3,5-6.

God tells us to rest: “CEASE STRIVING, and KNOW that I AM GOD.  I will be exalted among the nations and I will be exalted in the earth”  Psalm 46:10. 

David rests, writing: “I am like an olive tree flourishing in the house of God, I trust in God’s unfailing love forever and ever” Psalm 52:8.   And “One thing I have asked of the Lord, that shall I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord and to seek Him in His temple” Psalm 27:4.

David sums it up beautifully: “surely I have calmed and quieted my soul.  As a weaned child rests upon its mother, so my soul rests in Thee” Psalm 131:2.  Can you rest with God like a child resting with its mother? If not, you may not yet know God the way Job and David did. 

Pray that He will help you know Him so deeply that you can rest in Him.

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Don’t Bury God’s Word Under Empty Distractions. Job 38:2.

Begin your day with God’s word. Don’t let TV and social media fill your head with the noise of the anxious, fighting world.  Begin your day with God’s voice.  End your day with God’s voice.

Imagine: You’ve lost your riches, your status, your health, and your children. Your farm and ranch operation is destroyed.  Once the city fathers put their hands over their mouths so as not to interrupt you when you spoke—but now homeless men mock you, Job 29:9; 30:9. 

Your friends come to visit. For days the five of you debate God and the “problem of evil.” They say you have sinned because God would not allow such devastation to happen to a righteous man. You argue you have not sinned and that God has chosen you for bad treatment.

Finally, GOD SPEAKS.

How will God begin? In this case, he will not speak with a “still, small voice.” Instead, he blows in with a TORNADO.  A furious storm overwhelms Job:

“Who is this who darkeneth counsel by words without knowledge?” Job 38:2.

(Huh?) 

God is asking a rhetorical question.  It’s a bit like “Who do you think you are?”  But God adds that Job’s words “darken counsel.”  That is, Job’s complaints have obscured the light of God’s truth.  In other words, by accusing God of treating him unfairly, Job has thrown shade on God’s reputation, or “darkened” God’s wise counsel.

I like to paraphrase the question: Who is this who makes My purpose and instructions unclear by saying things that are untrue and void of knowledge?

WHO IS THIS THAT OBSCURES MY WORDS OF WISDOM BY BURYING THEM UNDER WORDS OF IGNORANCE?[1]

Sometimes Facebook makes me feel that way.  I walk silently to my car after scrolling the net and hear hundreds of ignorant, angry voices ringing in my ears, trolls and “social media warriors” screaming about anything and everything.  I don’t want their ignorant words to block God’s words of wisdom and peace.

Read the Word for PEACE OF MIND. Focus on God’s counsel in mornings, evenings, and all day.

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[1] Note the way Job restates God’s question: “You asked, ‘Who is this who conceals My counsel with ignorance?’” Job 42:3.

Who is This Who Questions God?

What if God came to you and said, “WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE?” Can you imagine that? That’s what He said to Job.

Job suffered greatly; everyone agrees. And he complained greatly. For 37 chapters, God listened silently to Job’s bitter complaints, most of which could be summed up as “I wish I had never been born” (Job 3:1, 3:16, 10:19). Finally, God answered the man. Job must have been shocked and terrified—he never expected God to bother. But God had a lot to say. He spoke to Job throughout chapters 38, 39, 40, and 41. God’s first lines are famous:

“Who is this that darkens counsel by words without knowledge? Now gird up your loins like a man, and I will ask you questions and you can instruct me!” Job 38:2-3.

God says, “Who is this who buries my words of wisdom under his own words of ignorance? Stand up and fight like a man, and answer my questions.”

Can you imagine God saying that to you? Of course, you won’t be able to answer ANY of God’s questions. But He is going to ask.

“Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth? Who set its measurements, since you know?” Who enclosed the sea? Where is the snow and hail stored? How does the lightning flash? Can you command the lightning and thunder? Do lightning bolts come to you and say, ‘here we are’? Where is darkness stored? Tell me, since you know. Can you make the constellations travel across the night sky? Do you give strength to the horse? Do you adorn its neck with a mane? Does the eagle soar at your command? Does the hawk take flight by your understanding?”

Finally God says to Job, “Will the faultfinder contend with the Almighty? Let him who reproves God answer.”

What can Job say? God is waiting on an answer. What would YOU say? After two chapters of un-answerable questions, are you humbled yet? Have you realized that you have no right to question God?

Job repents.

“Behold, I am insignificant. What can I reply to You? I lay my hand on my mouth. Once I have spoken, and I will not answer; even twice and I will add nothing more.” Job 40:4-5.

Job gets it. He knows it is time to shut up, to “be still and know that He is God.”

God goes on, schooling his accuser:

“Would you really challenge my justice? Would you declare Me guilty to justify yourself? Do you have an arm like God’s? Can you thunder with a voice like His? Can you capture the Behemoth [probably a Rhino] and pierce his nose with a ring? Can you pull in Leviathan [probably a Nile Crocodile or even a dinosaur] with a hook, or tie his tongue down with a rope? Can you put a cord through his nose or pierce his jaw with a hook? No one is ferocious enough to rouse Leviathan; who then can stand against Me? Everything under heaven belongs to Me.”

God goes on and when He is finished, Job repents again. May this be our attitude toward God:

“Surely I spoke about things I did not understand, things too wonderful for me to know…. I had heard rumors about You, but now my eyes have seen You. Therefore, I repent in dust and ashes.” Job 42:3-6.

Job lived another 140 years, and God blessed him by doubling everything: He owned 14,000 sheep, 6,000 camels, 1,000 yoke of oxen, 1,000 female donkeys, plus seven more sons and three more daughters. (And the number of children did not double from ten to twenty. Do you know why? Because God knows the first ten are alive in heaven. Job has not really lost them. This is an early indication of the resurrection.)

In the end, Job has had an amazing experience with God, a revelation every bit as incredible as those given to Noah, Moses, and others.

Dear God, help us to walk by faith, no matter how hard our circumstances might be. Thank you for the incredible example set by Job.

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Boss.

JOB was a boss.  He owned fantastic wealth.  The Bible calls him “the greatest man among all the peoples of the East” 1:3.  He understood lawsuits; he knew how to secure justice.  When young men saw him they backed away, older men stood, city officials and noblemen stopped talking.  “Men listened to me with expectation, waiting silently for my advice … I lived as a king among his troops” 29:21,25. 

The Bible lists Job’s 12,000 head of livestock (“live-stock,” a term that could be translated “money on the hoof”), yet it does not number his servants.  The number must have been high. 

Job was not A boss.  Job was THE boss.

Then God—the REAL boss—came to this junior-boss with questions.  Imagine God asking these questions of today’s bosses: world leaders, corporate executives, CEOs, generals, coaches.

“Who do you think you are?  Where were you at creation? How was the world made? What keeps the oceans in place? Who keeps the planets and stars in orbit? Where are lightning bolts stored? How are the lions fed? Can you give orders to a wild donkey and make him work for you? Will the wild ox serve you and harvest your grain? Can you boss the ostrich? Who put the mane on the horse? Can you explain that? Can you give orders to the eagle, telling it where to soar, and where to build its nest?” Job chapters 38 and 39.

How would you respond if God asked you these questions? What can an insignificant human say to GOD?  Even a king must humble himself.  King Nebuchadnezzar learned that lesson when God touched the proud king’s mind and left him crawling on all fours and eating grass for seven years (Daniel 4).  But Job had wisdom; God merely spoke the words and Job humbled himself.

“I am insignificant. How can I answer You? I place my hand over my mouth. I have spoken once, and I will not reply.  Twice, but now I can add nothing” Job 40:4-5.

God, give us humility.

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God Will Rescue You–But Not Always in the Way You Might Have Hoped.

A friend turned his back on God thirty years ago. Today he is suffering a terminal illness. Another friend is convinced God may be using the illness to reach Doug, to bless him, in fact.

What do you think of that? Can God “Bless you” with a disease that kills you? Can a terminal illness be God’s way of touching you with His grace?

I believe it can. God can use anything. And most of us are so stupid—so stupidly confident in ourselves and in our own talents and health and abilities that God has to take those things away just to get our attention. Sometimes losses and illnesses teach us more than victories ever could.

“God rescues the afflicted by their affliction; He instructs them by their torment…. Behold, God shows Himself exalted by His power. Who is a teacher like Him?”

Job 36:15,22.

Jamie, my friend who suggested a horrible illness might be a blessing in disguise, knows something about illness. She had an amzing resume, an enviable list of credits and she knew people in high places, and then in her forties, she became so sick she had to quit work and move back in with her mom and dad. Some days she feels fine, other days she can hardly get out of bed.

But Jamie is praying for God’s grace to shine on Doug. And she’s praying God will bless Doug though his illness may ravage his health. According to Job 36, that is a Godly prayer. We are supposed to pray according to the Word of God, right? And the Word says, “God rescues the afflicted BY their affliction.” In other words, “God rescues the sick by their sickness. And He teaches them through their suffering… Who is a teacher like Him?” Job 36:15,22.

Of course, there is no better teacher than God. And sometimes He will use an illness to teach you things. Do you know anyone struggling with illnesses right now? Are you struggling with an illness? Pray that God would use that illness to rescue the ill. Pray that He would instruct the ill person through their illness, and that He would prove once again that there is no teacher like Him. He can teach so much wisdom through terrible circumstances. And nothing else matters. As Jamie said to me on Facebook, God’s grace is everything. His grace is greater than her impressive resume. God’s grace is greater than your achievements. God’s grace is greater than anything any of us will ever accomplish in life. His grace is ALL. Pray for God’s grace to impart great wisdom to you and to any of your friends struggling with illness or injury. God can do amazing things in our hearts if we will just be open to Him. He loves you!

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How Does God Speak to You?

Job’s friend Elihu makes an interesting comment about the way God speaks to people. Keep in mind that Elihu was Job’s only friend that was NOT rebuked by God for speaking incorrectly. So we can believe what Elihu has to say.

“For God speaks time and again, but a person may not notice it. In a dream, a vision in the night, when deep sleep falls on people as they slumber in their beds. He uncovers their ears at that time and terrifies them with warnings, in order to turn a person from his actions and suppress his pride.” Job 33:14-17.

So how does God speak according to Elihu?

  1. In dreams
  2. In “visions in the night”
  3. When deep sleep falls and as we slumber

Most of us do not analyze our dreams looking for messages from God. And we probably should not. Because when Elihu was speaking there were NO written scriptures. Today we have 66 books of scripture. The copy on my desk has 1,403 pages! So today, God speaks to us through His Word.

But He MIGHT speak through a dream or a “vision in the night.” But it absolutely MUST be a message that is consistent with the Word that He has given us. That is, God will NEVER say something to you in a dream that contradicts anything in the Bible. If your dream contradicts the Bible, then your dream is NOT from God. The same is true for your imaginations, visions in the night, or whatever else might happen while you slumber.

Today, God speaks first and foremost through His Word. Don’t waste time combing through your dreams trying to find secret messages from God. His messages are in His Word.

I simply think it is worth remembering that once in a while, God may still use a dream to get your attention. But that dream will be consistent with the Bible, or it did not come from God. Personally, I have only ever had one dream that seemed to be a message from God. One—in fifty years. So I believe it is extremely rare that God would speak to you through a dream. There is so much more that He can teach you through His word—why even bother with dreams, you know? Dreams may be fun, but as you know, they are often illogical and even absurd. By contrast, the scripture is clear and easy to follow. It is not often subject to misinterpretation, but is instead, straightforward enough that readers either believe it and obey it, or they sin against it. Dreams are rarely so clear.

Do you want God to speak to you? Spend more time in His word. That is where He will meet you with wisdom and answers to all of life’s questions.

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Motormouth.

I was proud of my childhood nickname.  My mouth WAS a motor, running uninterrupted, 16 hours a day. My dad would say, “Steven, you’re a good kid.  But your mouth is going to get you into a lot of trouble.”  He was right.

The Bible says it too: “When there are many words, sin is unavoidable” Proverbs 10:19.  It’s a simple equation: More words = more sin.  James elaborates: “Let everyone be … slow to speak” 1:19.  Are you ever slow to speak?  Try it!

Of course, we have to talk.  But when and how much? Imagine you are attending a Bible study. When should you speak up and answer a question or offer a comment?  And if you have already spoken once, should you speak again? 

TALKATIVE PEOPLE WHO HOPE TO MAKE (AND KEEP) FRIENDS, MUST LEARN: NO ONE WANTS A SINGLE PERSON TO DO ALL THE TALKING. YOU HAVE TO STOP. 

The question is—when should you speak? What factors should you consider if you are dying to talk, but don’t want to be a boor (or a bore)?

Consider Job’s young friend Elihu:

“I too will answer… I am full of words, and my spirit compels me to speak. My heart is like unvented wine—it is about to burst the wineskins. I must speak so that I can find relief. I must open my lips and respond” 32:17-20.

Elihu considered several factors:

  1. He allowed elders to speak first, 32:4.
  2. None of his elders had a good response to Job’s arguments, v.12.
  3. Elihu plans to speak “only what he knows.” He will not let himself speak beyond his expertise, vv.10,17. (This is a BIG temptation for those of us who talk for a living.)
  4. He is overwhelmed with passion about his message, to the point he feels he will burst, v.19.
  5. Even while speaking, he will restrain himself, speaking with integrity and the fear of the Lord, v.22.

Practice LISTENING.  When you are bursting with some insight at that Bible study or family gathering, ask yourself whether your thought will do others in the room any good.  If it merely makes you look clever, but means nothing to anyone else—DON’T SAY IT!

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Hold Your Tongue.

Have you ever had something you were BURSTING to say? It happens during deep conversations with friends, or perhaps during a Bible study when something suddenly makes sense and you just HAVE to share.  Job’s friend Elihu knew that feeling:

“I am full of words, and my spirit compels me to speak. My heart is like unvented wine [like a shaken soda can]—it is about to burst like new wineskins. I must speak so that I can find relief. I must open my lips and respond!” Job 32:18-20.

That is so familiar to me.  This could be my “LIFE VERSE.”  I was always “full of words,” and “about to burst.” 

But Elihu is not the “Motormouth Kid.” He is a grown man, a man of wisdom. In fact, he may be the only man in the book who speaks the truth about God.

Not only that, when Job’s friends arrived, they sat down and said NOTHING for seven days.  SEVEN DAYS!  Can you imagine that?  And then Job’s three older friends did all the talking.  Elihu may have arrived after the other three (it does not say), but either way, he was silent for a long time while Job and the other seniors argued whether Job was being punished for his sins. Elihu listened to nine speeches from Job’s friends, and eight response speeches from Job, and said NOTHING until chapter 32. 

The younger man EARNED the right to be heard.  We must do the same.  We must listen not only to our elders, but to anyone whose experience or wisdom exceeds our own. Train yourself to be a good listener.  “Let every man be QUICK TO HEAR, slow to speak, and slow to become angry” James 1:19.

“If anyone considers himself religious, yet does not control his tongue, he deceives his own heart. That person’s religion is worthless” James 1:26.

Do you control your tongue? Do I?  If not, James says our religion—our FAITH—is worthless.

God, teach us to control our tongues. Teach us to SHUT UP.

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Can You Control Your Eyes?

Yes. You can. Some people act like it is not possible. But of course, that is ridiculous. You can make good decisions. Job says he made a covenant with his eyes. That’s like a contract. He negotiated a contract or signed a deal with his OWN EYES.

“I have made a covenant with my eyes not to look lustfully on a woman…. Does He not see my ways, and count my every step? … If my heart has been enticed by a woman… then may my wife grind another man’s grain, and may other men sleep with her. For that would have been wicked, a sin to be judged. It is a fire that burns to Destruction; it would have destroyed my harvest.” Job 31:1,4,9-12.

Job considers lustful eyes a wicked sin, a sin deserving judgment. He says it is a fire that burns to Destruction, and one that would destroy his entire life’s work. That is probably an unusual perspective today. Many people today seem to think sin is no big deal, and lust is certainly no big thing, right? Everybody does it, so it must be okay.


But God does not change His view with the times. Even if “everybody does it,” God does not just shrug and say, “oh, well, what are you gonna do?” Not at all.

Instead, God still says, “Be holy, even as I am holy.” 1 Peter 1:16. Job understands that: we are expected to be holy. God challenges us. He is challenging YOU—do not tolerate lustful eyes. Make a covenant with your eyes. Stop taking a second look. Instead, BE HOLY.

Pray with me. Dear God, give us the guts to demand holiness of ourselves. Give us that kind of strength from you. Help us to hate evil, and to seek holiness. Show us how to strive for purity and never settle for anything less than that.

Show us how to do like Job did, and make a covenant with our eyes to NOT be lustful. Help us to be turned off, repulsed even, by the sin or the lust that lurks in our hearts and in our eyes. Help us to hate that, to hate the sin, and to choose holiness. Remind us that VERY FIRST TIME before we are tempted to take a second look. Remind us to look away and let it go, to NOT look back, to NOT take a second look. Help us to remember that temptation itself is not sin—that it is okay for a bird to fly over our head, but we don’t have to let it make a nest in our hair. In the same way, temptations will come along, but help us to keep them moving on past us, and not let them linger like a bird building a nest. Help us hate lust, FLEE lust, and not take that second look. Help us to love you and to love your Word, and to pursue holiness every moment, every day. Help us to be holy, just as you are holy. We love you.

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Write it Down. Job 31:1-2.

Even after all Job had been through, he proclaimed his innocence.  After losing everything—possessions, animals, servants, children, health—he says he is pure.

“Let God weigh me in accurate scales, and He will recognize my integrity” Job 31:6.

That’s a bold statement for a man who just endured one of history’s most severe smackdowns.  Shouldn’t Job be more humble? How can he be so confident?  It is integrity.  And not just “pretty good” integrity.  God said Job had “perfect” integrity.  One secret to his remarkable life may be his COMMITMENT.

“I have made a covenant with my eyes, not to look lustfully on a woman. For if not, what portion would I have with God above? What inheritance from the Almighty?” Job 31:1-2.

As a young man, Job must have recognized the overwhelming power of lust and taken a step to control it.  HE MADE A COVENANT WITH HIS EYES. 

Have you ever made a covenant?  Have you tried writing down a solemn vow, a promise, or a decision of some kind?  I have done it several times and it can be an incredibly powerful step.  It must be solemn; it must be serious.  And I would not suggest writing down commitments and resolutions every day—it must be rare enough to be DEEPLY MEANINGFUL. 

But if God leads you and the time is right, locate paper and a pen, maybe a few big words, and WRITE DOWN your commitment to do or not do some critical thing in your life.  If God puts a burden on your heart, a written resolution can be a powerful and effective tool to change the direction of your life from that day on.  My life was changed forever when I made two written commitments. 

Job made a COVENANT WITH HIS EYES.  He made a solemn vow, and found a way to follow it; often a written commitment is just the thing.  (Take it seriously. Share with no one unless you feel strongly led.  This is between you and God. Otherwise, the attention and comments of others may weaken your resolve.)

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