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Job 37:1-40:14

Job

 37:1-24  -  ‘The Almighty is great in power and...He does not oppress’ (23). God’s power is loving power. His love is powerful love. In Jesus Christ, we see God’s power - ‘He is able to save to the uttermost all who come to God through Him’ - and God’s love - ‘I will never turn away anyone who comes to Me’ (Hebrews 7:25; John 6:37). In our world, the love of power has become a very destructive thing. In Jesus Christ, we see something quite different - the power of love. He uses His power to show us His love. He shows us His love when - through His mighty power - He saves us. As you think of the Lord Jesus Christ - His loving power, His powerful love - , let ‘His love and power control all you do and say’: ‘More love, more power, more of You in my life’ (Church Hymnary, 432; Songs of Fellowship, 392).
38:1-38  -  The Lord has listened long enough! He’s listened to a lot of ‘empty-headed words’. He has listened to a long, heated debate. There’s been a lot of heat and not much light. Everything seems to be as clear as mud (2). Now, it’s His time for speaking! What does God have to say? He invites Job to look at the bigger picture. Being preoccupied with our own problems doesn’t really solve anything. ‘Why has this happened to me? Why did it not turn out that way? Why this? Why that?’ - We go round in circles, thinking about these kind of questions. We don’t have all the answers. There are plenty of things we don’t understand. Even when we don’t understand  what’s happening, we can still say, ‘I lift up my eyes to the hills. Where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth’ (Psalm 121:1-2).  
38:39-40:14  -  ‘I am unworthy - how can I reply to you? I put my hand over my mouth...I have no answer...I will say no more’ (40:3-5). God speaks to us about our sin: ‘All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God’. He tells us that ‘all our righteous acts are like filthy rags’. Why does God speak to us like this? He speaks ‘so that every mouth may be silenced’ (Romans 3:23, 19; Isaiah 64:6). We must stop talking about our own righteousness and start listening to what God is saying to us. He speaks to us of ‘His love’. He tells us that, ‘while we were sinners, Christ died for us’. This is Good News - ‘the blood of Jesus, God’s Son, cleanses us from all sin’. No more excuses -  ‘I’m not such a bad person. I’m really quite good’! Let’s ‘confess our sins’ and receive God’s forgiveness (Romans 5:8; 1 John 1:7-10).
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