Dear Readers,

As Christians we believe that our God is all-powerful; however, sometimes it’s difficult to grasp what this means. It seems easy enough to give lip service to the concept, but when it comes to believing that God is big enough and strong enough to handle our personal problems, we balk. Well, yeah, sure, he can create the universe, heal the sick and raise the dead, but what about bringing home a wayward child? In dealing with our own challenges, our faith wavers. Our cursory knowledge completely fails us.

For this reason, it is important to take a deeper look at the nature of God’s power. Only then can we better understand what His power means to us personally.

Almighty in Power

By Kay Smith and Ruth Wood

Imagine Prince Charles crowned king of England and the next day giving orders to double the naval fleet with financing from the socialized medicine fund. What would be the result? Maybe he’d garner a few chuckles, but no action would take place because the English monarchy is powerless. A king without power can’t do much except give moral encouragement to his subjects.

The God of the Bible is clearly not a god just looking down encouraging, applauding and moaning over His subjects. His power is real and potent—what He says goes.

Our Comprehension

The full extent of God’s vigor, energy, force, capability, strength, influence, control, dominion, and authority remains incomprehensible to humans. We can only catch glimpses of God’s power, his omnipotence. It’s too easy to intellectualize this attribute. Perhaps it’s better to understand this aspect of Him by experience. But how do we do this?

Let’s join a man sitting on the front row seat of a wild encounter with God. Up to this point, Job had wrestled with all kinds of philosophical, theological and legal questions as He tried to understand God’s role in the tragedy that engulfed his life. In loud, passionate cries he called for an audience with the Judge of the Universe; he wanted to prove his innocence, to prove he had not deserved all his suffering.

An Encounter with God

Suddenly God arrives on the scene and begins questioning Job. Try to imagine the emotional impact of this interrogation as you listen in. As key questions from Job 38-40 are highlighted, what is God saying to you as well? Try to answer each question personally.

Where were you when I laid the earth’s foundation?

On what were earth’s footings set, while the morning stars sang together and all the angels shouted for joy?

Who shut up the sea behind doors when it burst forth from the womb . . . when I fixed limits for it and said, ‘This far you may come and no farther; here is where your proud waves halt’?

Have you ever given orders to the morning, or shown the dawn its place?

Have you journeyed to the springs of the sea or walked in the recesses of the deep?

Have the gates of death been shown to you?

What is the way to the abode of light?

And where does darkness reside?

What is the way to the place where the lightning is dispersed, or the place where the east winds are scattered over the earth?

Do you send the lightning bolts on their way? Do they report to you, ‘Here we are’?

Who provides food for the raven when its young cry out to God and wander about for lack of food?

Do you know when the mountain goats give birth?

Do you watch when the doe bears her fawn?

Do you give the horse his strength or clothe his neck with a flowing mane?

Does the hawk take flight by your wisdom and spread his wings toward the south?

Does the eagle soar at your command and build his nest on high?

The LORD said to Job: Will the one who contends with the Almighty correct him? Let him who accuses God answer him!

Job’s Reaction

After this stormy barrage, we understand Job’s blustering embarrassment, “I am unworthy—how can I reply to you? I put my hand over my mouth. I spoke once, but I have no answer—twice, but I will say no more.”

God does not let him off the hook. He continues on, “Brace yourself like a man; I will question you, and you shall answer me. Would you discredit my justice? Would you condemn me to justify yourself?” Then God goes on to blast Job with another round of questions until the poor man is dizzy and breathless and completely undone. Overcome by the sheer force and magnitude of this encounter, he appears to whisper in awe, “My ears had heard of you but now my eyes have seen you.”

Our Choice

Like Job, we too grapple with suffering. And like Job, we too must choose if we will accuse God of abusing His power or trust Him, making His power our place of refuge and strength. In Isaiah 40 the Lord says:

27Why do you say, O Jacob,
and complain, O Israel,
“My way is hidden from the LORD;
my cause is disregarded by my God”?
28 Do you not know?
Have you not heard?
The LORD is the everlasting God,
the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He will not grow tired or weary,
and his understanding no one can fathom.
29 He gives strength to the weary
and increases the power of the weak.
30 Even youths grow tired and weary,
and young men stumble and fall;
31 but those who hope in the LORD
will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
they will run and not grow weary,
they will walk and not be faint.

©2012 Kay Smith and Ruth Wood. All rights reserved. Used by permission. Published by www.Comfort-Cafe.net. Contact info: ruthywood@gmail.com

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