I hate to admit it, but I feel a little disappointed in God today.
I crawl under my cozy blanket in my favorite chair as a warm cup of coffee waits on the side table. I’m ready with my Bible and journal to record my conversation with God.
Usually, I’m excited to rise early for communion with my Maker, but today I feel heavy.
Winter winds spiral out my window and echo the coldness I feel in my heart.
I feel the tightness in my shoulders and sigh as warm tears roll down my cheeks.
Disappointment, frustration, and anger are my companions this morning as I meet with God.
Bitterness towards God is rising in my heart, and I know I need to address it now.
I’m not afraid to be honest with God.
He already knows what I’m thinking, and He sees the complexities of my heart.
Like David, I pour it all out.
I’m met with God’s compassionate grace as the Holy Spirit gently reminds me to turn to the book of Job.
I learned from the book of Job that God won’t always change my situation, but He will help me understand His rich character.I grin knowingly, fully aware of the truth God wants to shine on my heart and the shift I’ll experience when we’re finished.
I first discovered this powerful book years ago while my husband and I walked through a challenging season of sickness.
Christians are often drawn to the book of Job during a trial.
We compare our stories with his testimony; we find consolation in his misery.
I learned from the book of Job that God won’t always change my situation, but He will help me understand His rich character.
When I forget my place in the universe and question God’s treatment of me, the Holy Spirit reminds me to return to these passages for lessons about God’s majesty.
5 Ways the Book of Job Helps Us Perceive God’s Majesty
#1- The book of Job reveals God’s unmatched wisdom.
“Who is this who obscures My counsel with ignorant words? Get ready to answer me like a man: when I question you, you will inform me.” Job 38: 2-3 HCSB
Friends, don’t we love to tell God how our lives should go? We foolishly question His wisdom.
We may not understand our current struggle, but we can trust that God has a perfect plan for our redemption through the love of Jesus.
Colossians 2:2-3 HCSB reaffirms this truth when it states, “I want their hearts to be encouraged and joined together in love, so that they may have all the riches of assured understanding and have the knowledge of God’s mystery-Christ. All the treasures of wisdom and knowledge hidden in Him.”
We may not understand our current struggle, but we can trust that God has a perfect plan for our redemption through the love of Jesus.#2- The book of Job illuminates God’s immeasurable creative power.
“Where were you when I established the earth? Tell Me, if you have an understanding. Who fixed it’s dimensions? Certainly you know! Who stretched a measuring line across it? What supports its foundations? Or who laid its cornerstone while the morning star sang together and all the sons of God shouted for joy?” Job 38:4-7HCSB
I can’t help but be overwhelmed by God’s magnificent creative power revealed in the chapter of Job.
The more I read, the more awe I feel.
Job’s story helps us understand how God creatively moves on our behalf too.
#3- The book of Job exposes God’s heart for restoration.
“After Job had prayed for his friends the Lord restored his prosperity and doubled his previous possessions. All his brothers, sisters, and former acquaintances came to his house and dined with him in his house. They sympathized with him and comforted him concerning all the adversity the Lord had brought on Him. Each one gave him a qesitah and a gold earring.” Job 42:10-11 HCSB
Though Job experienced immense devastation when He faced the loss of his family, wealth, and health, God never left Job’s side.
Even when Job’s wife and friends asked him to curse God—he did not.
Job relied on God’s faithfulness to see Him through, and in the end, the Lord brought complete restoration.
Job’s story gives us hope as we face our own hardships.
Job relied on God’s faithfulness to see Him through, and in the end, the Lord brought complete restoration.#4- The book of Job teaches us that God owns everything.
“Who confronted Me, that I should repay him? Everything under heaven belongs to Me.” Job 41:11 HCSB
Sometimes when we feel pain, we make demands of God. We somehow feel like He owes us something.
But the truth is, God owes us nothing because He owns everything.
All of it belongs to Him; all of us belong to Him. Because we are His, we can trust Him with our lives.
#5- The book of Job helps us discover that God wants to be seen.
“You said, ‘Listen now, and I will speak; I will question you, and you shall answer me.’ My ears had heard of you but now my eyes have seen you. Therefore I despise myself and repent in dust and ashes.” Job 42: 4-6HCSB
We lose our way when trials or trouble come. We get focused on our circumstances and completely miss the greatness of God.
But God wants all of our attention.
He wills us to see His majestic character and creative ability, and we are changed when we truly see God.
Sometimes disappointment causes us to be embittered with God.
We forget the power and majesty of our Creator as we get lost in our own world.
The book of Job helps us discover that God wants to be seen. When we discover the magnitude of His majesty, everything else fades.Returning to the book of Job is the lifeline we need to understand the greatness of God fully.
Job’s story helps us better understand that our all-powerful God is at work on our behalf.
When we discover the magnitude of His majesty, everything else fades.
-Pamela Henkelman
Pamela is an enthusiastic encourager with a passion to speak, write and coach. She helps Christian moms navigate their changing role with their adult children through intimacy with God. Pamela lives in the Midwest with her husband, the pastor. They have five adult children and two grandkids. Laughter and coffee are two of her favorite things. Read more at PamelaHenkelman.com and connect with her on Instagram or Pinterest.
