Job 39 The Lord’s Challenge Continues
“Do you know when the wild goats give birth? Have you watched as deer are born in the wild? Do you know how many months they carry their young? Are you aware of the time of their delivery? They crouch down to give birth to their young and deliver their offspring. Their young grow up in the open fields, then leave home and never return.”
“Who gives the wild donkey its freedom? Who untied its ropes? I have placed it in the wilderness; its home is the wasteland. It hates the noise of the city and has no driver to shout at it. The mountains are its pastureland, where it searches for every blade of grass.”
“Will the wild ox consent to being tamed? Will it spend the night in your stall? Can you hitch a wild ox to a plow? Will it plow a field for you? Given its strength, can you trust it? Can you leave and trust the ox to do your work? Can you rely on it to bring home your grain and deliver it to your threshing floor?”
“The ostrich flaps her wings grandly, but they are no match for the feathers of the stork. She lays her eggs on top of the earth, letting them be warmed in the dust. She doesn’t worry that a foot might crush them or a wild animal might destroy them. She is harsh toward her young, as if they were not her own. She doesn’t care if they die. For God has deprived her of wisdom. He has given her no understanding. But whenever she jumps up to run, she passes the swiftest horse with its rider.”
“Have you given the horse its strength or clothed its neck with a flowing mane? Did you give it the ability to leap like a locust? Its majestic snorting is terrifying! It paws the earth and rejoices in its strength when it charges out to battle. It laughs at fear and is unafraid. It does not run from the sword. The arrows rattle against it, and the spear and javelin flash. It paws the ground fiercely and rushes forward into battle when the ram’s horn blows. It snorts at the sound of the horn. It senses the battle in the distance. It quivers at the captain’s commands and the noise of battle.”
“Is it your wisdom that makes the hawk soar and spread its wings toward the south? Is it at your command that the eagle rises to the heights to make its nest? It lives on the cliffs, making its home on a distant, rocky crag. From there it hunts its prey, keeping watch with piercing eyes. Its young gulp down blood. Where there’s a carcass, there you’ll find it.”
Here God continues to describe the wonders of creation and all its intricate details. Obviously, not only Job, but all other humans have only superficial knowledge of any of the things God is mentioning. No matter how much we might study wild animals or birds, there is always more to learn and our knowledge will always be incomplete.
When I was little, I memorized a verse from a poem by Robert Louis Stevenson called “Happy Thoughts: “The world is so full of a number of things, I’m sure we should all be as happy as kings.” Reading God’s description of His creation reminds me of that poem.
Throughout Africa, there are flame trees that burst into crimson blooms. The leaves on these trees consist of delicate fringes of green lace. Wherever we have lived, there have always been flame trees in our yard, and I have contemplated those trees on many occasions. So many times when I have become despondent or discouraged, God has asked me to number the fronds on the nearest flame tree, a task for which I am obviously unsuited. When I have told God that task is beyond me, God has then answered, “If you can’t do something so simple, why won’t you trust Me? I not only know how many fronds there are, but also the number of cells that compose those fronds and the flowers along with them.”
Why does God bother to remind Job of the magnificence of creation? Job has spent so much time focusing on his physical misery and the loss of his family, his servants, his animals, and his wealth that he needs a radical change of perspective. Does God hate Job or is scornful of him? Absolutely not! Just wait and see what God will do on Job’s behalf. But so many times when we suffer, we become fixated on our problems to the exclusion of anything else. We fail to remember that no matter what happens to us, God is still on the throne of the universe, that He remains all-powerful, all-glorious, almighty, all-knowing, all-seeing, and all-understanding.
How can we maintain an eternal focus in the midst of suffering? We must continue to worship God in spirit and in truth. Whether we sing or pray or tell others about God, as long as we are glorifying God, we are inviting Him to be part of our lives. When we invite God into our lives, He will work miracles. Ephesians 3:20-21 says, “Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.”
Today, you might feel lower than a ditch digger’s boots. Everything you have dreamt and longed for appears to be lying dead in the dust. You don’t know which direction to take and you brain is in melt-down. Why not start by thanking God for all the small miracles you see around you-electricity and running water (assuming you have those things!), a phone or computer on which to read these words, eyesight that allows you to read them, health to open your eyes so that you can read, breath, your five senses. Once you begin thinking of all the blessings around you, Stevenson’s verses ring true. “The world is so full of a number of things, I’m sure we should all be as happy as kings.” And also remember the verse from that old hymn. “All things bright and beautiful, all creatures great and small, all things wise and wonderful, the Lord God made them all.”
PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, help us to be grateful for all your creation. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.
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