By Max Lucado
Somewhere in your mind is a novel—your novel. Your novel about your future.
You envision a spouse or dear friend, kids, maybe grandkids. Your story includes good health, ample income, honest love, early retirement. We’ve all got a story we’re working on.
But just when we’re ready for the manuscript to be bound and published, God exercises editorial authority. He adds a character with a surprise pregnancy. He removes a character through a sudden tragedy.
How do you react when God edits your story? Fear or faith? Anger or trust? Do you turn away from God or turn toward him?
To help us choose the latter, God tells us stories. He packed the Bible full of personalities and profiles, all written so that you and I would know how to respond when our own stories take unexpected turns.
Are you struggling with guilt? Then meet Peter, the apostle who bailed on Jesus.
Facing an impossible challenge? So was a boy named David.
Have you exhausted your box of second chances? Then consider the plight of the woman found in the act of adultery.
For every person, Scripture has a story.
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JOB
(Read Job 1:1–3; 2:6–8; 40:1–4)
There are times when to speak is to violate the moment . . . when silence represents the highest respect. The word for such times is reverence. The prayer for such times is “Hallowed be thy name.” Only you and God are here, and you can surmise who occupies the throne.
Don’t worry about having the right words; worry more about having the right heart. It’s not eloquence he seeks, just honesty.
This was a lesson Job learned. If he had a fault, it was his tongue. He talked too much.
Not that anyone could blame him. Calamity had pounced on the man like a lioness on a herd of gazelles.
We are 37 chapters into the book before God clears his throat to speak. Chapter 38 begins with these words: “Then the LORD answered Job.”
God floods the sky with queries, and Job cannot help but get the point: Only God defines God. For the first time, Job is quiet. Silenced by a torrent of questions, Job barely has time to shake his head at one question before he is asked another. The Father’s implication is clear: “As soon as you are able to handle these simple matters of storing stars and stretching the neck of the ostrich, then we’ll have a talk about pain and suffering. But until then, we can do without your commentary.”
Job understands the message and replies, “I am not worthy; I cannot answer you anything, so I will put my hand over my mouth” (40:4 NCV).
Before he heard God, Job couldn’t speak enough. After he heard God, he couldn’t speak at all. Silence was the only proper response.
“Hallowed be thy name.” This phrase is a petition, not a proclamation. A request, not an announcement. Do whatever it takes to be holy in my life. Take your rightful place on the throne. Exalt yourself. You be Lord, and I’ll be quiet.
The Holy One dwells on a different level from the rest of us. What frightens us does not frighten him. What troubles us does not trouble him.
“Be still and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10 NCV). This verse contains a command with a promise.
The command? Be still. Cover your mouth. Bend your knees. The promise? You will know that I am God. The vessel of faith journeys on soft waters. Belief rides on the wings of waiting.
In the midst of your daily storms, make it a point to be still and set your sights on him.
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REFLECTION
How does one “hallow” God’s name? From the opposite viewpoint, how does one profane it? In the last week, did you do more of one than the other?
Read Job 38:3–18. What is the point of all God’s questions? What lesson does he want Job to learn? What do you learn about God in this passage?
Read Job 40:4–5; 42:1–6. What did Job finally learn about God? How did it change his attitude toward his circumstances?
If you had been in Job’s shoes, do you think you would have reacted much as he did?
In times of trouble, do you ever demand answers of God? If he were to respond to your questions, what do you think he’d say?
[Read other Bible Gateway Blog posts by and about Max Lucado]
The above article is excerpted from They Walked with God: 40 Bible Characters Who Inspire Us by Max Lucado. Copyright © 2022 Max Lucado. Published by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission of Thomas Nelson. www.thomasnelson.com. All rights reserved.
They Walked with God: 40 Bible Characters Who Inspire Us is published by HarperCollins Christian Publishing, Inc., the parent company of Bible Gateway.
Bio: More than 145 million readers have found inspiration and encouragement in the prolific writings of Max Lucado. Browse his books in the FaithGateway Store. Max lives with his wife, Denalyn, and their mischievous mutt, Andy, in San Antonio, Texas, where he serves the people of Oak Hills Church.
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