Job 37:6: “For He says to the snow, ‘Fall on the earth’; likewise to the gentle rain and the heavy rain of His strength.”
January 1st, 2024 by Pastor Ed in devotionalThe Book of Job is the record of God allowing Satan to bring difficulty into the life of Job in order to prove to Satan, and the audience in heaven, that Job was committed to serving God regardless of circumstances. There was a figurative storm raging in Job’s life, and his friend Elihu counseled him that the storm was caused by Job’s hidden sin. Elihu used the metaphor of a natural storm to remind Job that God is powerful and controls life. Elihu pointed out that God’s power can be seen in both gentle and harsh weather. We usually think of storms as something to avoid and run from, but he argued that we should sit quietly and let God speak to us through the storm. Good advice to follow, but we must be careful to remember that although God’s hand can be seen in creation, He is not the creation.
We notice that when the believer considers nature, his heart turns toward God in worship and praise. But when the atheist considers nature, he turns toward the laws of nature and away from the Creator of those laws. Nature is the lowest form of divine revelation, but it is a place to start. God’s greatness and power goes far beyond that which He has created. He is not limited by what He has made.
Johannes Kepler, the father of modern astronomy, was troubled by a fellow scientist who denied the existence of God and believed the universe came into being by itself through simple mechanical means. Kepler, in an effort to convince his friend otherwise, constructed an elaborate model of the solar system, complete with planets and moons that circled the sun. When his friend saw the completed model, he exclaimed, “How beautiful! Who made it?” Kepler casually said, “No one made it; it made itself.” His friend looked at him and said, “Nonsense, tell me who made it.” Kepler then replied, “Friend, you say that this little toy could not make itself. Yet it is but a weak imitation of this great universe, which I understood you to believe made itself.”
“LORD of creation, we need You to please guide our steps today.”