Quote for the Day

“Does the hawk take flight by your wisdom…?”

Today's Prayer

This week pray for those traveling that they will look to God in all they see. Ask God to show the majesty of HIS creation even as we travel in this “man made” world. Pray for those at home that they may be in awe of God and His power.

Job 38:39 – 39:30

Job 38:39 – 39:30 (NIV)Job 38:39-4139 “Do you hunt the prey for the lionessand satisfy the hunger of the lions40 when they crouch in their densor lie in wait in a thicket?41 Who provides food for the ravenwhen its young cry out to Godand wander about for lack of food?Job 39:1-301 “Do you know when the mountain goats give birth?Do you watch when the doe bears her fawn?2 Do you count the months till they bear?Do you know the time they give birth?3 They crouch down and bring forth their young;their labor pains are ended.4 Their young thrive and grow strong in the wilds;they leave and do not return.5 “Who let the wild donkey go free?Who untied his ropes?6 I gave him the wasteland as his home,the salt flats as his habitat.7 He laughs at the commotion in the town;he does not hear a driver’s shout.8 He ranges the hills for his pastureand searches for any green thing.9 “Will the wild ox consent to serve you?Will he stay by your manger at night?10 Can you hold him to the furrow with a harness?Will he till the valleys behind you?11 Will you rely on him for his great strength?Will you leave your heavy work to him?12 Can you trust him to bring in your grainand gather it to your threshing floor?13 “The wings of the ostrich flap joyfully,but they cannot compare with the pinions and feathers of the stork.14 She lays her eggs on the groundand lets them warm in the sand,15 unmindful that a foot may crush them,that some wild animal may trample them.16 She treats her young harshly, as if they were not hers;she cares not that her labor was in vain,17 for God did not endow her with wisdomor give her a share of good sense.18 Yet when she spreads her feathers to run,she laughs at horse and rider.19 “Do you give the horse his strengthor clothe his neck with a flowing mane?20 Do you make him leap like a locust,striking terror with his proud snorting?21 He paws fiercely, rejoicing in his strength,and charges into the fray.22 He laughs at fear, afraid of nothing;he does not shy away from the sword.23 The quiver rattles against his side,along with the flashing spear and lance.24 In frenzied excitement he eats up the ground;he cannot stand still when the trumpet sounds.25 At the blast of the trumpet he snorts, ‘Aha!’He catches the scent of battle from afar,the shout of commanders and the battle cry.26 “Does the hawk take flight by your wisdomand spread his wings toward the south?27 Does the eagle soar at your commandand build his nest on high?28 He dwells on a cliff and stays there at night;a rocky crag is his stronghold.29 From there he seeks out his food;his eyes detect it from afar.30 His young ones feast on blood,and where the slain are, there is he.”

Message

God’s discussion moves from the vastness of the universe to creation great and small in the world in which we live. While we might not live with animals day to day as our ancestors did, we certainly understand the complexity of their creation. In this passage God points out to Job not only the wisdom of His creation, but reminds Job that he (Job) will never understand everything about those creatures. In fact, the answer to why some creatures do not seem to “work” properly is answered in verse 17, “…God did not endow her with wisdom or give her a share of good sense.” God is equally pleased to point out the majesty of the hawk and eagle and the strength of the ox and horse. His point: I am in control. God has made this universe and its creatures for His pleasure and His use. He alone knows why a mountain goat loves the rocks and crags and why an eagle has superior vision. God as The Creator has not only the power and wisdom to hold it all together, but He alone has the secrets as to how it all operates. Yes, we can search and seek, but our answers will always come up short of the full package and will always lead us to the Almighty Creator.God’s answer to Job now moves from the universe to the creatures, reminding Job that God alone has the understanding, power, and control over all He has created. This is where we also begin to see more clearly that without OUR acknowledgement of The Creator, the answers may never be understood.