I Wonder

Do you ever wonder what God was thinking when He created the Universe?  I heard a song this morning that made me think about what God was thinking about when He created you or me.  No one has the ability to know God completely.  We have the Word of God so we know some things about God and we know His character, but it is very hard to know how He thinks, although some people think they have Him figured out.

Think about Job, God had blessed him abundantly and Job honored God and was careful to do what God required of him.  I think Job thought he knew God pretty well and I think he was very comfortable in his situation and rightly so.  What more could he expect, living in luxury plus having people looking up to him at the gate where he would sit and give counsel with the wisdom that he had been blessed with from God.

Read what God said about him in His Word in Job 1:1-5, “There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and that man was blameless and upright, and one who feared God and shunned evil. And seven sons and three daughters were born to him. Also, his possessions were seven thousand sheep, three thousand camels, five hundred yoke of oxen, five hundred female donkeys, and a very large household, so that this man was the greatest of all the people of the East.

And his sons would go and feast in their houses, each on his appointed day, and would send and invite their three sisters to eat and drink with them. So it was, when the days of feasting had run their course, that Job would send and sanctify them, and he would rise early in the morning and offer burnt offerings according to the number of them all. For Job said, ‘It may be that my sons have sinned and cursed God in their hearts.’ Thus Job did regularly.”

This was a man that loved God and was careful to live according to God’s will and commandments.  Then one day, out of the clear blue sky, as some would say, Job’s live started unraveling and what took place was beyond Job’s understanding of God.  I would say that Job was floored by what happened and he definitely had many questions, I would say he even experienced depression, but with all that happened to him he remained faithful even though he may have struggled with the ‘why’ of it all.

Read a little about the kind of man Job was, in his own words, in Job 29:1-25:

“Job further continued his discourse, and said:

“Oh, that I were as in months past,

As in the days when God watched over me;

When His lamp shone upon my head,

And when by His light I walked through darkness;

Just as I was in the days of my prime,

When the friendly counsel of God was over my tent;

When the Almighty was yet with me,

When my children were around me;

When my steps were bathed with cream,

And the rock poured out rivers of oil for me!

“When I went out to the gate by the city,

When I took my seat in the open square,

The young men saw me and hid,

And the aged arose and stood;

The princes refrained from talking,

And put their hand on their mouth;

The voice of nobles was hushed,

And their tongue stuck to the roof of their mouth.

When the ear heard, then it blessed me,

And when the eye saw, then it approved me;

Because I delivered the poor who cried out,

The fatherless and the one who had no helper.

The blessing of a perishing man came upon me,

And I caused the widow’s heart to sing for joy.

I put on righteousness, and it clothed me;

My justice was like a robe and a turban.

I was eyes to the blind,

And I was feet to the lame.

I was a father to the poor,

And I searched out the case that I did not know.

I broke the fangs of the wicked,

And plucked the victim from his teeth.

“Then I said, ‘I shall die in my nest,

And multiply my days as the sand.

My root is spread out to the waters,

And the dew lies all night on my branch.

My glory is fresh within me,

And my bow is renewed in my hand.’

“Men listened to me and waited,

And kept silence for my counsel.

After my words they did not speak again,

And my speech settled on them as dew.

They waited for me as for the rain,

And they opened their mouth wide as for the spring rain.

If I mocked at them, they did not believe it,

And the light of my countenance they did not cast down.

I chose the way for them, and sat as chief;

So I dwelt as a king in the army,

As one who comforts mourners.”

That is quite a testimony about oneself.  This is when you might wonder what God was thinking; didn’t God know before these events how Job would respond?  Of course He did, but Job didn’t, and believe it or not these are some of the ways we grow and mature in our walk with the Lord.  These kinds of things show us if we really love God and what our motives for serving Him really are.  

You may not believe this, but persecution was also instrumental in building a strong and healthy church in Jesus’ day and in many places today.  No believer wants to experience these kinds of things but things like these may become a reality and, if they do, you will have the same choices that Job had to make.  Job made the right choice and in the end he was blessed and I am sure his relationship with God was much stronger and even sweeter than before.

There are times when we may wonder what God is thinking, but God knows what He is doing at all times. The Word says this in Romans 8:28, “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.”

The things we don’t expect will either draw us closer to God or farther away or we may give up completely, but take these verses to heart in 1 Peter 4:7-14, “But the end of all things is at hand; therefore be serious and watchful in your prayers. And above all things have fervent love for one another, for “love will cover a multitude of sins.” Be hospitable to one another without grumbling. As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. If anyone speaks, let him speak as the oracles of God. If anyone ministers, let him do it as with the ability which God supplies, that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belong the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen.

Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you; but rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ’s sufferings, that when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy. If you are reproached for the name of Christ, blessed are you, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. On their part He is blasphemed, but on your part He is glorified.”

You may wonder what God is thinking at times but He has only your best in mind, praise the Lord!  Something to think about and may God bless you and yours and have a super day!!