When you were a child, did your parents ever put their hand over your mouth to get you to be quiet? Or maybe as a parent you did that when you wanted to your child to be quiet.
In the book of Job, Job questions God. Everything and almost everyone has been taken from him. Even his health has been taken away. His friends tell him to repent of his sin. A younger friend tells him how great God is and that he shouldn’t question God’s sovereignty.
But question it, Job does.
And then Job is in for it!
God begins to speak to Job. Imagine it. Here Job has been complaining, and rightly so, because we would be too! Then, God says hold up! Have you ever…. Do you know….
God begins listing things He has done that we have no clue about! Things like thunder, hail, rain, all nature, animals, etc. God questions Job and asks if he can do any of that.
Of course, Job humbly says no. I can picture Job bowing his head and saying:
4 “Behold, I am of small account; what shall I answer you?
I lay my hand on my mouth.
He puts his hand on his mouth as if to shut himself up. We need to do more of that too.
Then, God goes on to tell more about His wonderful works. At the end of God’s rebuke to Job, Job confesses and says:
“I know that you can do all things,
and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted.
3 ‘Who is this that hides counsel without knowledge?’
Therefore I have uttered what I did not understand,
things too wonderful for me, which I did not know.
4 ‘Hear, and I will speak;
I will question you, and you make it known to me.’
5 I had heard of you by the hearing of the ear,
but now my eye sees you;
6 therefore I despise myself,
and repent in dust and ashes.”
We can learn a lot from the story of Job. Most of all we need to learn that no matter what happens in this life, we need never lose our trust and faith in God. He is always in control. He always has a purpose. We may not know it, and we may question it, but we still have to have faith in Him. Nothing else matters, really!
I put my hand on my mouth!
