Forever Home in the Eternal Family of God

14 January 2024

Reading from Job 38-39

“Do you know when the mountain goats give birth?
    Do you watch when the doe bears her fawn?
Do you count the months till they bear?
    Do you know the time they give birth?
They crouch down and bring forth their young;
    their labor pains are ended.
Their young thrive and grow strong in the wilds;
    they leave and do not return.”

–Job 39:1-4

     It is extraordinary that the God of the Universe, the Creator of all things is all-powerful and so mighty, and yet watches over the smallest of His creatures as they carry their babies, give birth and raise them to make their way in nature.  It speaks to the tenderness of the heart of God.  This passage causes me to fall in love with Him all over again.  I have always admired the definition of meekness[1] as power under control and I see this beautifully displayed in this excerpt from Job.  After endless chapters of Job, Eliphaz, Bildad, Zophar and Elihu bickering, now we finally hear from God.  The Almighty brings His eternal perspective to the conversation and I marvel at His endless wisdom and knowledge.  He is our massively powerful Heavenly Father who “laid the earth’s foundations,”[2] and “cuts a channel for the torrents of rain, and a path for the thunderstorm,”[3] and “brings forth the constellations in their seasons.”[4]  And yet He also feeds the birds of the air and arrays the lilies of the field.[5]

     There is so much rush, stress, hurry, and tension in the world today.  Bills must be paid, retirement must be planned for, children supported, houses and vehicles to be maintained, the to do list goes on and on and I know that the business of living must go.[6]  But I see something marvelous in this knowledge that our wonderful Maker takes time for all matters great and small.  I must be intentional about being interested in little things that might not seem to matter to some, but might matter to others and may be opportunities to show the love of Jesus to someone who truly needs it.  It could be a smile shown to someone who needs cheering up.  Pausing in the middle of a busy day to speak to someone who needs a friend.  Putting my agenda on hold to pray for someone.[7]

“Heavenly Father, please help me to follow Your example in making time for the ‘little’ things even while I’m trying to take care of ‘big’ priorities.  Show me the smallest opportunities to display Your love and care to others even when it seems inconvenient to me.  I pray that I would put others’ needs above my own.  I give You praise and glory because You are the God of one and all.  No problem is too great or too small for You to handle.  Thank You Jesus.  Amen.”

Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much.  So if you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will trust you with true riches?  And if you have not been trustworthy with someone else’s property, who will give you property of your own?

Luke 16:10-12

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[1] Matthew 5:5

[2] Job 38:4

[3] Job 38:25

[4] Job 38:32

[5] Matthew 6:26-34

[6] Daniel 12:4

[7] Ephesians 5:16