In The Word
Read: Job 11-12
Zophar Rebukes Job
11 Then Zophar the Naamathite responded,
2 “Shall a multitude of words go unanswered,
And a talkative man be acquitted?
3 Shall your boasts silence people?
And will you scoff, and no one rebuke?
4 For you have said, ‘My teaching is pure,
And I am innocent in your eyes.’
5 But if only God would speak,
And open His lips against you,
6 And show you the secrets of wisdom!
For sound wisdom has two sides.
Know then that God forgets part of your guilt.
7 “Can you discover the depths of God?
Can you discover the limits of the Almighty?
8 They are as high as the heavens; what can you do?
Deeper than Sheol; what can you know?
9 Its measurement is longer than the earth
And broader than the sea.
10 If He passes by or apprehends people,
Or calls an assembly, who can restrain Him?
11 For He knows false people,
And He sees injustice without investigating.
12 An idiot will become intelligent
When a wild donkey is born a human.
13 “If you would direct your heart rightly
And spread out your hands to Him,
14 If wrongdoing is in your hand, put it far away,
And do not let malice dwell in your tents;
15 Then, indeed, you could lift up your face without moral blemish,
And you would be firmly established and not fear.
16 For you would forget your trouble;
Like waters that have passed by, you would remember it.
17 Your life would be brighter than noonday;
Darkness would be like the morning.
18 Then you would trust, because there is hope;
And you would look around and rest securely.
19 You would lie down and none would disturb you,
And many would flatter you.
20 But the eyes of the wicked will fail,
And there will be no escape for them;
And their hope is to breathe their last.”
Job Chides His Accusers
12 Then Job responded,
2 “Truly then you are the people,
And with you wisdom will die!
3 But I have intelligence as well as you;
I am not inferior to you.
And who does not know such things as these?
4 I am a joke to my friends,
The one who called on God and He answered him;
The just and blameless man is a joke.
5 He who is at ease holds disaster in contempt,
As prepared for those whose feet slip.
6 The tents of the destroyers prosper,
And those who provoke God are secure,
Whom God brings into their power.
7 “But just ask the animals, and have them teach you;
And the birds of the sky, and have them tell you.
8 Or speak to the earth, and have it teach you;
And have the fish of the sea tell you.
9 Who among all these does not know
That the hand of the Lord has done this,
10 In whose hand is the life of every living thing,
And the breath of all mankind?
11 Does the ear not put words to the test,
As the palate tastes its food?
12 Wisdom is with the aged,
And with long life comes understanding.
Job Speaks of the Power of God
13 “Wisdom and might are with Him;
Advice and understanding belong to Him.
14 Behold, He tears down, and it cannot be rebuilt;
He imprisons a person, and there is no release.
15 Behold, He restrains the waters, and they dry up;
And He sends them out, and they inundate the earth.
16 Strength and sound wisdom are with Him.
One who goes astray and one who leads astray belong to Him.
17 He makes advisers walk barefoot
And makes fools of judges.
18 He undoes the binding of kings,
And ties a loincloth around their waist.
19 He makes priests walk barefoot,
And overthrows the secure ones.
20 He deprives the trusted ones of speech,
And takes away the discernment of the elders.
21 He pours contempt on nobles,
And loosens the belt of the strong.
22 He reveals mysteries from the darkness,
And brings the deep darkness into light.
23 He makes the nations great, then destroys them;
He enlarges the nations, then leads them away.
24 He deprives the leaders of the earth’s people of intelligence
And makes them wander in a pathless wasteland.
25 They grope in darkness with no light,
And He makes them stagger like a drunken person.
New American Standard Bible (NASB) Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation
Walking In The Word
Have you ever faced a situation that you did not know what to do? Life has many decisions and challenges, and we might not be able to see the answers. In those cases what should we do? Turn to God! “With Him are wisdom and might; to Him belong counsel and understanding (Job 12:13).” God is full of power and wisdom, and He makes them available to His children, which means there is an answer from God for every situation we will ever encounter. Even though we may not clearly see the solution, God knows exactly what to do. Job’s friend Zophar rightly asked and answered, “Can you discover the depths of God? Can you discover the limits of the Almighty? … It’s measure is longer than the earth and broader than the sea (Job 11:7, 9).”
So how do you tap into God’s endless wisdom and power for your personal situation? Through prayer and God’s Word. Bring your circumstance to God through prayer, admitting your need for Him to intervene and declaring your trust in Him. Then open God’s Word and begin to read. Do some research through a bible study tool, like a concordance or bible dictionary, to see if God speaks to your situation. Even if God’s Word does not specifically address it, still read scripture because simply putting your mind on God’s Word will open your ears to hear what the Holy Spirit says.
We are limited creatures, but our Father’s wisdom and power are limitless. God has the answer you’re looking for.