When Tempted To Contend With God

“Shall the one who contends with the Almighty correct him? He who rebukes God, let him answer....” Job 40:2 When one reads and understands this, he will come to realize how absurd the very thought is. How can any mortal man correct God! In this chapter in the book of Job, the Lord reveals his awesomeness, his power and his glory. He is the one who controls everything in creation. He says that it is he who keeps the stars in the heavens. It is he who has imparted to every species of animal the instincts they live by. How do the birds know to fly to warm places before winter sets in? How does the squirrel know to store up food for winter? Who told the birds or the squirrels that indeed there IS a winter coming? This chapter in the book of Job not only speaks to the greatness of God's power to create, but to the greatness of his power to sustain it all, as he is Lord over all the very intricacies in all of creation. Yet… Yet mortal man loses sight of the greatness and glory of God, and when a problem comes up or a question of doubt is suggested to his mind, he enters into a mindset of challenging God. And it is to this that the Lord answers: vs 8: “Would you indeed annul my judgment? Would you condemn me that YOU may be justified?" The Lord continues the list of all the marvelous things he is in control of, and asks Job which of them he could perform in his own strength and wisdom - and that if Job thinks he can, let him try - and only if he succeeds, says the Lord, then God will back down: vs 14: "Then I will also confess to you that your own right hand can save you." No, our own right hand cannot save us. Wisdom begins when a mortal human being realizes just how dependent he is on his Creator. Unless one can match the glory of God in sustaining his vast creation, it is a good idea to not contend with God in any matter, but to live a life of glorious and joyful dependency upon him, in faith-filled surrender, giving to him the glory that he rightly deserves. Just as God has detailed everything in all he has created, so he has also detailed everything in our lives. There is nothing that happens to us outside of the pre-determination of God. His Word says we are to bring praise and thanksgiving to him "in all things." ALL things. "In EVERYTHING give thanks for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you." 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 In EVERYTHING! Does the word "everything" include hard things, painful things, terrible things? Well it does if "everything" means everything. And we will bring praise to him, once we come to an understanding of how God uses “everything” in our lives for specific purposes in maturing us and raising us up. It is important to finally come to understand that God has a plan for each individual he has brought into the world, and that plan includes the hard things that, IF handled correctly, will bring about God's will and purpose in that person's life. When one truly understands this, his heart will rise up in wondrous praise and thanksgiving to the great Creator who holds our next breath in his capable hands, and whose will for each one is that person's good. "For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope." Jeremiah 29:11