In The Presence of God

Oftentimes, my husband asks me things like this:

“What do you want to do this evening?”, “Where would you like to eat?”, “Would you rather go to the movies or stay in tonight?”.

My answers are usually something along these lines:

“Whatever you want to do”, “Wherever is fine with me”, “Doesn’t matter to me”.

These types of responses are not what he would like to hear most of the time.  However, they are actually the truth.  I don’t care what we are doing, I just want to be with him.  Being with him is enough for me.  It’s not about what we are doing…it’s that we are together.  That’s the prize for me – simply being with him.

When All Seems Lost

Through some very difficult circumstances, Job learned this powerful lesson as well concerning the Lord.  Job’s experience is a well-known story.  God professed him to be a “perfect and upright man” in a conversation He had with Satan, (Job 1:6-8), and allowed Satan to put Job’s faith to the test.  By the end of the day, Job had lost everything.  Messengers came to Job – one after the other – each delivering worse news than his predecessor. Like a macabre parade of tormentors they came and informed Job of his stolen livestock, slain servants, and of the tragic loss of all his children.  In less than 24 hours, all Job had worked for, all he had been blessed with, all he loved most in this world was gone.  Simply gone, (Job 1:13-19).  Most of us do well to even begin to imagine what this was like for Job.

Job’s immediate response to the worst news he had ever received in his life is so powerful, so genuine, and so poignant that it is beyond a doubt the testament of his life (Job 1:20-22):

Then Job arose, and rent his mantle, and shaved his head, and fell down upon the ground, and worshipped, And said,

Naked came I out of my mother’s womb,

And naked shall I return thither:

The Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away;

Blessed be the name of the Lord.

In all this Job sinned not, nor charged God foolishly.

He worshiped God and praised Him.  In the moment of his deepest agony, He praised God.  It truly is beautiful.

More suffering was brought upon Job, and he had to endure the accusations and questioning from his friends who had little understanding.  They could not believe such a drastic amount of suffering would be brought upon an innocent man.  Through all these things, Job never lost his faith in God.  He lamented his very existence, longed for death, spoke of God’s greatness, and begged for understanding.  Throughout the book of Job, he pleads his innocence and openly shares the bitterness of his soul.  Job wanted a meeting with God so that he might talk to Him and know why he was being punished.  He even wished for a mediator to come; someone to act as an intercessor between him and God, but Jesus would not be born for many more years.  Through his desperation and agony, Job leaves no doubt where his faith lies when he proclaims to his friends, (Job 19:25-27):

For I know that my Redeemer lives,

and at the last he will stand upon the earth.

And after my skin has been thus destroyed,

yet in my flesh I shall see God,

whom I shall see for myself,

and my eyes shall behold, and not another.

When God Shows Up

Job’s suffering reaches its deepest state when he shares his memories of the way things used to be.  He feels God has abandoned him and yearns, grievously, to feel the friendship of God, to feel the blessings of God…to feel the presence of God.  The question still lingers with Job, “Why…why…why?”

In chapter 38, God shows up!  The words of God are not like anything you have ever read before or encountered.  You really must read this for yourself.  The Almighty Himself appears before Job in a whirlwind, and SPEAKS!  The voice of God.  Can you imagine?  God has come to remind Job of who He is, (Job 38:2-7):

Who is this that darkens counsel by words without knowledge?

Dress for action like a man;

I will question you, and you make it known to me.

Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth?

Tell me, if you have understanding.

Who determined its measurements—surely you know!

Or who stretched the line upon it?

On what were its bases sunk,

or who laid its cornerstone,

when the morning stars sang together

and all the sons of God shouted for joy?

With an introduction like that, it wouldn’t take 2 seconds to set Job straight, but God speaks to Job like this for 4 whole chapters.  God’s words are poetry itself, (Job 38:34-38):

Can you lift up your voice to the clouds,

that a flood of waters may cover you?

Can you send forth lightnings, that they may go

and say to you, ‘Here we are’?

Who has put wisdom in the inward parts

or given understanding to the mind?

Who can number the clouds by wisdom?

Or who can tilt the waterskins of the heavens,

when the dust runs into a mass

and the clods stick fast together?

Job immediately realizes what a terrible mistake he made in wanting to argue with God. All the questions he wanted answered, all that he desired God to explain to him disappeared.  Job realized that God Himself was enough.  The presence of God alone was all Job needed.  Nothing else was even important anymore.  He showed reverence and awe to God, and in return God showered Job with mighty blessings.

Taking a Lesson From Job

My friend, there are so many lessons to be learned from the book of Job, but the one I’m focused on today is this:

GOD is all you need.  HE is enough.

It’s not the answers to your questions that matter.  It’s not trying to figure out what your calling is that matters.  It’s not fighting for what you think is fair that matters, or anything else.

Your relationship with God is all that matters.  To reach the place where Job finally was, you must surrender to self as he did.  Job’s outlook on everything changed completely when he realized who God is in a way he never had before.  The desire to have his needs fulfilled was completely gone when Job was in the presence of God and surrendered himself.  Job was entirely fulfilled by God Himself.  When you truly understand that and get your relationship right, everything else will be revealed to you…or maybe it won’t, but it won’t matter because God will fulfill and sustain.  He is all you need.  What greater prize is there?

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