August 25, 2021

“Who has cleft a channel for the torrents of rain….? (Job 38.25a)

Job does not understand why he is experiencing such calamity. It is beyond his ability to fathom why such a good God would allow (even ordain) such suffering on the part of one that He loves. For a season, Job has suffered in his body and in his soul. His questions have at times been accusatory and yet he has not thrown in the towel of faith. In chapter 38, God responds to Job, but he does not respond with answers. He asks Job questions that reveal a very important and foundational truth:

I AM God, you are not! I AM Creator, you are creation. This is MY world. I get to do with it, what I want and what I want is beyond your capacity to fully grasp. Therefore, since you cannot know everything, do not doubt Me who does. 

This past week, Cathi and I spent a few days in the Finger Lake region of upstate New York where we hiked to 25-30 waterfalls. Of course, signs along some of the paths say stuff like, “this gorge has been formed by water flowing for 350 million years,” as if this phenomenon is by chance. It is like looking at an incredible painting and trying to tell people that it was painted by someone else other than the one who really did it. Looking at these gorges and witnessing the water rush through them (record-setting rain helped), evokes a response of awe and worship. That response is fulfilled when we acknowledge that our God carved out these channels for function (torrents of rain) and for pleasure.

We tend to get impressed with ourselves too easily. A regular reading of Job 38-39 asks us questions that we cannot answer so that we will love and trust the One who knows and does all things well.

Grace and Peace,

Bob

Sunday’s text: 2 John 12-13​​​​​​​