"Who has helped you utter these words? And whose spirit spoke from your mouth?...And these are but the outer fringe of His works; how faint the whisper we hear of Him! Who then can understand the thunder of His power?"
We need to be very, very careful when we, "utter these words". Likewise, it is a good question to ask, "Who has helped," us utter them, "And whose spirit spoke from your mouth?" I'm sure I have many "words" which should never have been uttered. Words do indeed "matter." How many words we have spoken over our life time we wish we could take back. But, alas, it doesn't work that way. The words were spoken, or written, and there is nothing we can do to change that. We can ask for forgiveness from offended ones, and may receive it, but the words are not forgotten. You know that, don't you. We can do repentance and ask for forgiveness, and our Lord Jesus grants the forgiveness we so desperately need. Also, the offended one may grant forgiveness, but those words, those hurtful words still linger in the memory, still fester deep within the offended one.
Job's "counselors" did nothing to help him, only that first week when they just sat with him, saying nothing. Their words just got more hurtful to Job as they attempted desperately to "set him right." Why do most people think anyway that in order to help someone we always have to be saying something? Jesus speaks to us in His Words, of course. But have you ever just "sat with" Jesus, saying nothing, asking nothing, doing nothing else but being with/in Him? Contemplation and meditation can be scary words, involve the wrong "spirit." They can also be from the Holy Spirit. He will "speak" to our hearts things which we cannot hear any other way.
It is so necessary, however, to always keep in mind that, "....these are but the outer fringe of His works; how faint the whisper we hear of Him! Who then can understand the thunder of His power?" Notice, "the outer fringe of His works;".., and, "faint the whisper we hear of Him!" Job realized the reality of this in the midst of his suffering. Maybe that is where we hear more than we imagine. It is at once humbling and worship. Humbling, in that we don't know, nor can we understand so much of what we tend to ask for, and worship, in that we know we have a relationship in the Living Triune God in Jesus Christ, in Him Who rules the Universe. Our comprehension is, "but the outer fringe of His works," but His is, "His works." Our hearing can be only, "faint the whisper we hear of Him!" But in Jesus, that, "still small voice," serves/ministers to and in us His very life. The last portion of our text is perhaps the most humbling, "Who then can understand the thunder of His power?" Any takers?!?
Father, in Jesus' Name, O, such a wonderful, " faint the whisper." Amen.
**********************
* The Lord Jesus spoke a both encouraging and rebuking "word" to me this morning. "When you go to Washington, DC, go expecting to make a difference."
* DC Mission Dates: September 17-21. If you wish to come down some time during those dates, let me know.
We need to be very, very careful when we, "utter these words". Likewise, it is a good question to ask, "Who has helped," us utter them, "And whose spirit spoke from your mouth?" I'm sure I have many "words" which should never have been uttered. Words do indeed "matter." How many words we have spoken over our life time we wish we could take back. But, alas, it doesn't work that way. The words were spoken, or written, and there is nothing we can do to change that. We can ask for forgiveness from offended ones, and may receive it, but the words are not forgotten. You know that, don't you. We can do repentance and ask for forgiveness, and our Lord Jesus grants the forgiveness we so desperately need. Also, the offended one may grant forgiveness, but those words, those hurtful words still linger in the memory, still fester deep within the offended one.
Job's "counselors" did nothing to help him, only that first week when they just sat with him, saying nothing. Their words just got more hurtful to Job as they attempted desperately to "set him right." Why do most people think anyway that in order to help someone we always have to be saying something? Jesus speaks to us in His Words, of course. But have you ever just "sat with" Jesus, saying nothing, asking nothing, doing nothing else but being with/in Him? Contemplation and meditation can be scary words, involve the wrong "spirit." They can also be from the Holy Spirit. He will "speak" to our hearts things which we cannot hear any other way.
It is so necessary, however, to always keep in mind that, "....these are but the outer fringe of His works; how faint the whisper we hear of Him! Who then can understand the thunder of His power?" Notice, "the outer fringe of His works;".., and, "faint the whisper we hear of Him!" Job realized the reality of this in the midst of his suffering. Maybe that is where we hear more than we imagine. It is at once humbling and worship. Humbling, in that we don't know, nor can we understand so much of what we tend to ask for, and worship, in that we know we have a relationship in the Living Triune God in Jesus Christ, in Him Who rules the Universe. Our comprehension is, "but the outer fringe of His works," but His is, "His works." Our hearing can be only, "faint the whisper we hear of Him!" But in Jesus, that, "still small voice," serves/ministers to and in us His very life. The last portion of our text is perhaps the most humbling, "Who then can understand the thunder of His power?" Any takers?!?
Father, in Jesus' Name, O, such a wonderful, " faint the whisper." Amen.
**********************
* The Lord Jesus spoke a both encouraging and rebuking "word" to me this morning. "When you go to Washington, DC, go expecting to make a difference."
* DC Mission Dates: September 17-21. If you wish to come down some time during those dates, let me know.
When Peter, an 18 year old Norwegian, "heard the call to evangelize China, on that day he not only emptied his wallet into the collection plate, but included a small note with the words, 'and my life.'"
"Looking unto Jesus"
Hebrews 12:2
"Looking unto Jesus"
Hebrews 12:2
