THE BREATHS AND BEATS OF AMAZING GRACE

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In Christ, Mark

The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

Then Job spoke again:

“You people really know everything, don’t you? And when you die, wisdom will die with you! Well, I know a few things myself—and you’re no better than I am. Who doesn’t know these things you’ve been saying? Yet my friends laugh at me, for I call on God and expect an answer. I am a just and blameless man, yet they laugh at me. People who are at ease mock those in trouble. They give a push to people who are stumbling. But robbers are left in peace, and those who provoke God live in safety—though God keeps them in His power.”

“Just ask the animals, and they will teach you. Ask the birds of the sky, and they will tell you. Speak to the earth, and it will instruct you. Let the fish in the sea speak to you. For they all know that my disaster has come from the hand of the Lord. For the life of every living thing is in His hand, and the breath of every human being. The ear tests the words it hears just as the mouth distinguishes between foods. Wisdom belongs to the aged, and understanding to the old.”

“But true wisdom and power are found in God; counsel and understanding are His. What He destroys cannot be rebuilt. When He puts someone in prison, there is no escape. If He holds back the rain, the earth becomes a desert. If He releases the waters, they flood the earth. Yes, strength and wisdom are His; deceivers and deceived are both in his power. He leads counselors away, stripped of good judgment; wise judges become fools. He removes the royal robe of kings. They are led away with ropes around their waist. He leads priests away, stripped of status; he overthrows those with long years in power. He silences the trusted adviser and removes the insight of the elders. He pours disgrace upon princes and disarms the strong.”

“He uncovers mysteries hidden in darkness; he brings light to the deepest gloom. He builds up nations, and he destroys them. He expands nations, and he abandons them. He strips kings of understanding and leaves them wandering in a pathless wasteland. They grope in the darkness without a light. He makes them stagger like drunkards.”

Job 12:1-25 (NLT)

This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

After hearing his third friend condemn him, Job once again spoke, part in defense of himself against what his friends had alleged, part in defense of himself against God.

Chapter 12 begins with Job defending against his friends who have all had their chance to speak their mind to him. What did Job think about their words? Not much. In fact, at the beginning of this chapter, we find Job telling them sarcastically, “You people really know everything, don’t you? And when you die, wisdom will die with you!” Indeed, his friends had come off as if knowing the very mind of God Himself in the things they said, something God will correct them for in Chapter 42. Job went on to assert he was a little knowledgeable as well and just as knowledgeable as his friends who he said were no better than he was.

It’s rather clear that Job was not only angry at Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar but with other friends as well who instead of supporting Job chose to instead “laugh at him”. Job felt that those without problems had no problem mocking those who were suffering, giving a push to someone who may already be stumbling. In other words, they add insult to injury.

On the surface, this passage in Chapter 11 could be discarded as Job still being bitter over his affliction and trouble, bitter at anyone who tried to help him and bitter at God who Job felt had afflicted the innocent while allowing the guilty to live in plenty and peace. But if we solely look at this passage that way, we would miss a very important point Job made that we should never forget, a point about the Almighty God that he and we serve.

Job knew that his suffering had come at the hands of God. He doesn’t seek to put the blame anywhere else. And although he couldn’t comprehend why God was doing what He was doing to him, yearning for an audience with God to find out the answers he sought, Job clearly knew all about who and what God was to man. Verse 10 clearly reveals this as Job says this about the Maker and Creator:

“For the life of every living thing is in his hand, and the breath of every human being.”

Indeed, God was in control and in Him will always be found “true wisdom and power…counsel and understanding.” He will also dictate the lives of His people according to His will for each of them, blessing and judging as He deems appropriate. Too often man thinks they should dictate to God about what should happen in their lives. That’s just not the way it works. Man doesn’t dictate to God…God dictates to man. Truly, the life of every living thing is in His hand…and the breath of every human being.

Yes, God holds every breath we take in His hand. I just checked my own breathing and took 10 inhales and exhales in one minute. Doing some quick math, that would be 600 and hour and 7,200 breaths in one day…7,200 life sustaining breaths. I also took a check of my heart beat for if God grants us life, then just as He grants us breath, surely He controls the very beats of our heart. For me, 84 beats in a minute…and once again doing the math, I calculate 5,040 beats an hour and a whopping 120,960 beats a day. Beats all granted by a God who sustains my life just as He does yours.

The sheer numbers are mind boggling and I’m not even going to bore you with how many breaths and heart beats God has granted over my over 52 years of life. We can easily figure out how amazing God is when we consider all that He does for us to the most micro level. An amazing God grants us amazing grace with every breath and every heartbeat with every event a special life sustaining gift from above.

You know, we should always keep this in mind. God’s love for us is as close as a breath drawn in and exhaled…as close as a beat of our heart.

Thanks be to God for Job reminding us of this even in the midst of deep suffering.

and

Thanks be to God - our Maker, Creator and Friend - for His goodness and grace, in good times and in bad.   

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

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