Bible Study Day 29

Job 35:1-37:24

Sometimes we wonder if being faithful to our convictions really does any good at all. Elihu spoke to this very point. His conclusion was that God is still concerned even though he doesn’t intervene immediately in every situation. In the broad scope of time God executes justice. We have His promise on that. Don’t lose hope. Wait upon God. He notices your right living and your faith.

One theme in the poetic literature of the Bible is that God is incomprehensible; we cannot know him completely. We can have some knowledge about Him, for the Bible is full of details about who God is, how we can know Him, and how we can have an eternal relationship with Him. But we can never know enough to answer all of life’s questions, to predict our own future, or to manipulate God for our own ends. Life always creates more questions than we have answers, and we must constantly go to God for fresh insights into life’s dilemmas.

Nothing can compare to God. His power and presence are awesome, and when He speaks, we must listen. Too often we presume to speak for God (as did Job’s friends), to put words in His mouth, to take Him for granted, or to interpret His silence to mean that He is absent or unconcerned. But God cares. He is in control, and He will speak. Be ready to hear His message - in the Bible, in your life through the Holy Spirit, and through circumstances and relationships.

Elihu concluded his speech with the tremendous truth that faith in God is far more important than Job’s desire for an explanation of his suffering. It is here that God Himself breaks into the discussion to draw the right conclusions from this important truth.

Elihu stressed God’s sovereignty over all of nature as a reminder of His sovereignty over our lives. God is in control - he directs, preserves, and maintains his created order. Although we can’t see it, God is divinely governing the moral and political affairs of people as well. By spending time observing the majestic and intricate parts of God’s creation, we can be reminded of His power in every aspect of our lives.

Reference: Project 365 for Year 2012