Behold, God is great, and we know him not, neither can the number of his years be searched out
(Job 36:26, KJV)
Recently, I asked God if He would give me a date. Or at least the month. There are some things that I know are coming my way. Not just because I believe it will come to pass, but because God has confirmed, confirmed, and reaffirmed those things to me time and time again. Not only has He told me through scripture, but also through sermons. And through random social media posts. He's told me through my very bones... my soul knows it.
So, I asked God to give me a date on some of those promises. You know what He told me? In the most loving, patient, and sweet way, He said,
"MIND YOUR BUSINESS!"
And oop! I guess He told me! Let me mind my little business, while He handles the big business. I can't lie. It feels good. It feels really doggoned good to know that God has it all figured out while I wait. It's like waiting to see what your parents got you for your birthday or Christmas. I may want a clue, but hey... this ain't Blues Clues. What God wants me to know has been revealed. What needs to remain in the unknown will do just the same.
Now, of course God didn't literally tell me to mind my business. But He kind of did in a round about way. Here are the two scriptures He gave me within two days of each other.
Jesus answered and said unto him, What I do thou knowest not now; but thou shalt know hereafter.
(John 13:7, KJV)
God thundereth marvellously with his voice; great things doeth he, which we cannot comprehend.
(Job 37:5, KJV)
So as you can see, God pretty much told me that I don't know nothing (yes, I know that's a double negative grammar police :-) But I'll repeat, I don't know nothing about what He's doing … but I will know soon enough. This reminds me of a Bible lesson my husband taught this past Saturday (yes, the hubs taught a Bible lesson and did a fabulous job!) Quick moment of praise to the hubs...
In his lesson, he spoke about the children of Israel (Moses's generation) and how they wanted to scout out the Promised Land. My husband made a very valid point about the children of Israel's request to scout the land. It was a request, not a command from God, to scout the land. He said that their request to scout the land was their attempt to verify what God had already promised.
But there was no reason for them to scout the land. God's promises don't need our verification. They just wanted to see it... just like I wanted a date... or maybe just like you're wanting specifics on the promises God gave you.
If you're anything like me, sometimes you may get a little too caught up in the promises of God. I mean, they are so grand that I just get lost in them sometimes. But you see, sometimes little reminders can snap us back to reality. I'll tell you how He showed me all about me. He simply asked me one question by way of two sermons back to back (see how He always confirms and reconfirms His points to me?)
He asked me, "What are you thirsty for?" or "What are you hungry for?" With that simple question God showed me that I had become hungry for promotion, hungry for elevation, hungry for His promises to me... but not hungry for souls. Or at least not as hungry as I should have been.
He had to remind me that I was only given those promises because of the work for the kingdom, which is to save souls! I had lost sight of that. Yes, I have continued to write these weekly articles, and yes I post regularly on social media for a few viewer's encouragement. But if my heart's purpose is to get to God's promises more so than save God's people, then my sight is skewed.
I tell you this candidly because it's quite easy to become focused on #1 and your own family. But as Christians, we are to be focused on the harvest. It takes a constant dying of the flesh to look outside yourself to others. It's a continuous asking God to increase while we decrease. This is the only way we can focus on our purpose more than our promises.
In addition to God asking me what I was hungry for, He reminded me of His grand being instead of His grand promises. He reminded me of His sovereignty via the book of Job. Here are a few verses that stuck out to me:
Behold, God exalteth by his power: who teacheth like him?
(Job 36:22, KJV)
For he saith to the snow, Be thou on the earth; likewise to the small rain, and to the great rain of his strength.
(Job 37:6, KJV)
Dost thou know the balancings of the clouds, the wondrous works of him which is perfect in knowledge?
(Job 37:16, KJV)
Touching the Almighty, we cannot find him out: he is excellent in power, and in judgment, and in plenty of justice: he will not afflict.
(Job 37:23, KJV)
These verses ask simple questions that put the power of God into perspective. Do we know how to hang and balance clouds? Do we now how to make it lightly or heavily rain from the heavens above? Can we or anyone else teach God anything?
Absolutely not. In Job 36 and 37 God is revealed as being so beyond our very essence and our way of thinking. God is so outstandingly awesome in His being and in all that He has created that "we know Him not" and "cannot find Him out". This does not mean that we don't know God in the free part of our sins.
It doesn't mean that we don't acknowledge who God is or know who He is in terms of authority. Rather it means His authority super exceeds our ability to comprehend exactly who He is in all of His glory. In fact, John 1:18 states no one has seen God at any time.
We know Moses went on Mount Sinai with God. We know Jacob wrestled with God. We know Jesus was God in the flesh and walked the earth as a man. But no one has seen the full glory of God. We simply cannot withstand such glory. Even the angels in heaven have wings to veil their faces from the majesty of our Lord.
So, when it says we don't know God it means we don't know the full glory of God. You know how when someone does something unexpected in a good way and their response is "You don't know nothin' bout me"? For example, if I go on the runway and catwalk like Naomi Campbell and you say, "Quin, girl I didn't know you had it like that!" And I slyly respond "You don't know nothing bout me."
That's exactly how God is but on a way grander level that neither you, I, or anyone else can comprehend. Baby, we don't know nothing about God! We don't know how to breathe life into dirt to form mankind. We don't know how to create the heavens and earth out of nothing. We don't know nothing about the holiness of God and how He creates. We don't know when He will move and how He will move.
Sometimes He will clue us on somethings and sometimes He won't. And if He doesn't, mind your business just like He told me. Our business is to serve Him. To follow Him even when we can't see the "how", to trust Him when we don't know when. Our business is to be laborers in this harvest. We have the broad picture, we just need to leave the details to Him.
Alright you guys, that's a wrap. I think I've said enough for you catch my drift. The promises of God are indeed something to long forward to, but let's not allow the promises to make us forget our purpose or the authority of God. If you are unsure of the promises, ask God to reveal what He has for you through scripture. Trust me, if you are unsure of those promises, ask and wait on your confirmation, He always makes it crystal clear.
But as far as those details, if He gives it to you, great! But if not, just let Him work, and be content with knowing that He has all the details worked out. We may not know nothing about God, but He knows all about us and the plans He has for us. This along with His sheer power and authority should be enough to hold us off until we reach our promises.
Til' next time be blessed, and have a great week!
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