We hope this week's devotional will encourage you in your spiritual walk. You are welcome to share this and include it in your church newsletters if you wish; we just ask that you please give credit to NTC and the author. Thank you!
Job 38:1-7, (34-41)
38:1 Then the LORD answered Job out of the whirlwind:
38:2 "Who is this that darkens counsel by words without knowledge?
38:3 Gird up your loins like a man, I will question you, and you shall declare to me.
38:4 "Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth? Tell me, if you have understanding.
38:5 Who determined its measurements--surely you know! Or who stretched the line upon it?
38:6 On what were its bases sunk, or who laid its cornerstone
38:7 when the morning stars sang together and all the heavenly beings shouted for joy?
38:34 "Can you lift up your voice to the clouds, so that a flood of waters may cover you?
38:35 Can you send forth lightnings, so that they may go and say to you, 'Here we are'?
38:36 Who has put wisdom in the inward parts, or given understanding to the mind?
38:37 Who has the wisdom to number the clouds? Or who can tilt the waterskins of the heavens,
38:38 when the dust runs into a mass and the clods cling together?
38:39 "Can you hunt the prey for the lion, or satisfy the appetite of the young lions,
38:40 when they crouch in their dens, or lie in wait in their covert?
38:41 Who provides for the raven its prey, when its young ones cry to God, and wander about for lack of food?
Devotional Thought
A few weeks ago my wife and I spent a day in the village of Montville, Queensland, to celebrate our 12th wedding anniversary. We were told that this was an idyllic mountain village with quirky shops and plenty of restaurant options overlooking the valley below. It did not disappoint. We enjoyed the shops, ate plenty of food, and took a short walk to see a waterfall. Those who recommended Montville as a nice place to visit described all of those things, but there was one thing we saw that was not mentioned.
On the drive to Montville from Brisbane, you exit the motorway and proceed toward the village on a major highway. My wife and I were taking in the sights and then suddenly, right in front of us, was a HUGE mountain that seemed to pop up out of nowhere. Then there was another, and another! It was as if we came upon an ancient site of massive boulders that shot up from the ground. We later found out these huge rocks were called the Glasshouse Mountains.
As I read through Job’s encounter with God, the image of those huge mountains comes to mind. ‘Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth? Tell me, if you have understanding’, God said to Job. In this meeting, God reminds Job of His great power and authority over all creation. With a word, God can create the Glasshouse Mountains and with a whisper, He can calm the sea. Like Job, I think it is good to be reminded of our place in creation. The immensity of all that exists echoes the eternity of God, and in the story of Job, we see that even in His awesome strength, power and sovereignty, God chooses human beings to be in relationship with Him, crowning them with His glory and honour.
Prayer
God of all power and might, we give You honour and praise today for You are surely awesome. Great is Your Name in all the earth! We give thanks to You for creation, and we are humbled at Your love for us. May we live in awe of You today and always. Amen.
Rev Dr Joseph Wood
Dean of Students and Lecturer in Theology and Church History