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And Job said: “My ears had heard of you but now my eyes have seen you.” (Job 42:5) NIV
Job is saying this to GOD. Yes, I had heard OF you BUT NOW I have seen you. The light bulb has gone off; the blinders have been taken away. Bear with me for a second but I beg to ask you can it be this SIMPLE to see God? Yes, so many of us say we don’t see or hear God but can we just be wrong? Is it possible we have seen and heard Him and just missed it?
It took 42 chapters of the heart wrenching, bewildering story of Job and His friends trying to figure out why all these bad things were happening to Him. Illness, death, and financial ruin were endured by Job and he was still surviving based on his faith in a God he had “heard of”.
Back in Chapter 33 when his friend Elihu was putting his two cents in as to why Job was suffering these things, he did say something that rung true to my ears this morning. In Chapter 33:14 For God speaks again and again, though people do not recognize it. (NLT)
Back to Chapter 42, can it really be this simple? In 42:7 the LORD says to one of the other wise friends of Job: “…for you have not spoken of Me what is right, as My servant Job has.”
So what did Job say that was so right with God? You ready? He said: I was talking about things I did not understand, things far too wonderful for me. (42:3) I take back everything I said, and I sit in dust and ashes to show my repentance.” (42:6)
What made Job finally see God and admit that he really didn’t know anything? Basically God made Job realize how much he does NOT know. God used nature to ask Job how much control and understanding does he have there. We do tend to get high and mighty and try to wrap our human minds around things where in reality we just don’t know. We can stand on our soap box and sound wise and all knowing but we are NOT. We are human. Do we have control of the stars in the sky? The weather, the animals, do we see God in them?
Maybe we have seen God and just didn’t recognize it. Maybe in the humbling of ourselves in understanding that He is God and we are not we can actually see Him. Look around today at nature and see how much of that you control or understand how they work. You have seen God. Now may we realize He can do everything. Maybe it is as simple as admitting we are NOT God and that He is.
We can go on for 42 chapters or a lifetime trying to figure things out and offering our opinion when really we just need to understand that there are things so wonderful that we just can not understand. May we gaze upon God’s creation in amazement and see Him everyday. Yes, we have seen Him and the more we recognize Him and His works being way beyond our comprehension and praising Him the more we will know Him. We will know Him in a real and personal way and not just know OF Him. It is a wonderful thing beyond our understanding. Just give it up and be blessed.
Do you have any thoughts about Job today? Have you seen God?
Tom Raines
Christian Affirmations 4 Life
Tom–
I just read this quote from Etty Hillesum, a Jewish woman imprisoned/killed at Auschwitz, (in Philip Yancey’s book, “Prayer, Does It Make Any Difference?”) last night:
“Sometimes when I stand in some corner of the camp, my feet planted on Your earth, my eyes raised towards Your Heaven, tears sometimes run down my face, tears of deep emotion and gratitude. And I want to be there right in the thick of what people call horror and still be able to say: life is beautiful. Yes, I lie here in a corner, parched and dizzy and feverish and unable to do a thing. Yet I am also with the jasmine and the piece of sky beyond my window…For once you have begun to walk with God, you need only keep walking with God and all of life becomes one long stroll–a marvelous feeling.”
And I have trouble seeing God? I have trouble hearing from God? I pray, “Open the eyes of my heart, Lord.” Peace, Cindy
Thank you Cindy. I pray with you in that prayer that we stay keenly aware of Him and His marvelous works! Have a great day!
Tom,
When I read that Scripture here on your blog, I thought of those who received Jesus as The Son of God and The Son of Man when He was here during His earthly ministry.
I mean, consider: All that talk about God and His power and Holiness and then along comes Jesus, The Son of God, declaring that He and His Father are one…it must have been quite a revelation! They had heard, and now they were actually seeing with their own eyes! They were looking upon God.
Amazing.
Amazing indeed, thanks Donald. It also reminds me of those who had Him live and in the flesh AND witnessed the miracles but still could not see who He was…We are a stubborn bunch….with such AMAZING GRACE!!! Have a great weekend Donald!
“stubborn bunch”?
LOL! I can think of several other ways to describe us, but yours is more family-appropriate! 🙂
Have a great weekend yourself, Tom. I’m sure I’ll be “seeing” you on Monday.