Job confesses how small he is compared to God, and then God continues teaching Job.
“Then Job answered the Lord and said: ‘Behold, I am of small account; what shall I answer you? I lay my hand on my mouth. I have spoken once, and I will not answer; twice, but I will proceed no further.’ Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind and said: ‘Have you an arm like God, and can you thunder with a voice like his? Adorn yourself with majesty and dignity; clothe yourself with glory and splendor. Pour out the overflowings of your anger, and look on everyone who is proud and abase him. Look on everyone who is proud and bring him low and tread down the wicked where they stand. Hide them all in the dust together; bind their faces in the world below. Then will I also acknowledge to you that your own right hand can save you.’ ” (v3-6,9-14)
God is basically challenging Job to be Him – “If you’re powerful like I am, how about you clothe yourself with glory and splendor, and deal with the sin/sinners of this world? Once you deal with them, casting sin out of this world, then even I will admit you are mighty.” (paraphrased, of course)
This may sound like God is taunting Job in a sadistic kind of way, but I think He’s just taking one more step in teaching Job humility. God continues to talk about the amazing creatures He has made, just like He made Job, and how overwhelmingly powerful they are in comparison to Job. If God’s creatures are more powerful than Job, how much greater is the Creator than His creation?
God is also reminding Job just how powerless he is – only God’s mighty arm can deliver this world from their sin, we cannot possibly deliver ourselves. A flawed person cannot deliver themselves into a restored relationship with a flawless creator, it just doesn’t work.
I encourage us to search our hearts for any areas in which we believe we are more powerful or knowledgeable than God. Examples may include: “I’m the owner of a company or head of a household, what I say goes.” or “What I eat isn’t important, it’s my heart that God cares about.” or “This little habit is only hurting me, so I can keep on doing it since I’m still loving my neighbors.” I encourage us to surrender every area of our lives to our Sovereign God, even the “small” areas, or ones in which we’re the primary decision-makers. God wants to be fully involved in our lives, even in the small things (He is a God of details – He created detail after all). If we trust Him with the big things, why not the small things as well? Let’s admit just how powerless we are without God’s help, and invite Him into the minutia of our everyday lives.
Father God, Almighty Creator, All-Powerful Lord, we praise Your holy name. You are glorious and magnificent beyond compare, and we confess our tiny existence pales in comparison to You. Father, often we think more highly of ourselves than we ought, and You need to remind us of who we are in light of who You are. Thank you for being gentle with us, and using only a fraction of Your power with us, otherwise we would surely die from the overwhelming power of Your presence. Thank you for continually humbling us, and keeping our hearts in alignment with Yours, as Your humble servants. Would You please guide us this day, reveal Your steadfast lovingkindness, and keep us on the paths of righteousness. In the name of Jesus, our humble and wise Savior we ask this, amen.
~ Conqueror in Training