The following is an excerpt from the book Shameless Audacity in the Pitfalls of Life written by Dr. Rudy Morgan
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Chapter 5
The Lord’s Revelation to Job
(Job chapters 38–41)
Sometimes we as God’s children have moments and seasons of inspiration in our journey through life. But God never allows any of us to stay in the cloud of motivation because we have a world filled with valleys we need to face and be channels of Christ-like love to others who are very needy even when we are suffering and facing challenges. Keep in mind always that it is the low times of life (during your suffering, pain, trials, and mundane experiences) when you must learn to live best for the glory of Jesus Christ.
As a disciple of Christ, you are His light, regardless of the circumstances in which you find yourself. Chapters 38–41 were a learning season for Job in interacting with God—and also a tremendous refreshing season after so much pain and havoc. Why had God been silent for so long as Job remained swamped with so much inaccuracy?
Do you realize that God’s silence is often a special privilege for some of you since it means that our Savior has trusted you with His silence, which will bring Him glory? Remember the story of Lazarus and his sisters—all were friends of Jesus, as recorded in John 11. In John 11:4–7 it is registered regarding hearing that Lazarus was very sick, “When he heard this, Jesus said, ‘This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God’s glory so that God’s Son may be glorified through it.’ Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. So when he heard that Lazarus was sick, Jesus stayed where he was two more days, and then he said to his disciples, ‘Let us go back to Judea.’”
Why was God silent for so long with this family in their time of need? Jesus was allowing them to be a part of one of the most significant miracles in the New Testament. Jesus had so much confidence with this family’s faith that He did nothing for a few days and said nothing. The Lord revealed heavenly blessing in His silence when God was keeping quiet and merely observing. It takes a shameless audacity in our love for God for Him to trust us enough with His silence.
Likewise, God had listened enough to the conversations between Job and the men who had gathered with him. The servant Job was swamped with gross innuendos and speculations that were far from the truth. But guess what—even Job did not always see clearly as evidenced by some of his statements that fell short of the mark. God helped to open the eyes of Job by asking him over sixty direct questions that Job could not answer, causing him to be genuinely amazed and stunned. Through this questioning encounter, Job received a dose of “revelation sense.” In Job 12:7–10 Job had indicated that animals could be a source of unraveling the “suffering mysteries” he had faced. The questions by God now focused on His creation and handiwork, and these were holy moments for Job. Indeed, the servant of the Lord was standing on “holy ground” in these chapters.
Rudy Morgan, Ph.D., DPC
Author & Church Planter
Cambria Heights Church of the Nazarene
Learn more about guest blogger Rudy Morgan.
