A Fresh Encounter with God

A Fresh Encounter with God begins when we truly Recognize His Power & Majesty ()

Explanation: Job has been overwhelmed by God’s questioning. For each of God’s questions concerning Job’s abilities, he has had to answer in the negative. Job has had his limited understanding of God’s abilities increased. While he still cannot comprehend all that the Almighty is capable of, Job has been given a fresh perspective on power and majesty. Job has recognized and affirmed the Sovereignty of God throughout the whole account. The difference is one of degree, heightened by personal experience

Illustration: The difference between classroom instruction in driving a car and the actual experience of operating and driving a car.

Argument: Understanding that God is Sovereign and in control is good. Seeing it and experiencing His Sovereignty in your personal life is another. The Almighty is just that - All Powerful, the One who purposes, and none can stop Him. God will accomplish His purposes, and no one can alter His ultimate designs.

Argument:

This is not just theoretical. This is not just something to voice our agreement with. This is reality, this is life. When we fail to grasp this great Truth, we will also fail in our trust of God. When we are faced with hardship and pain what enables us to believe the promises like the one found in ? If God is not all powerful, how can He work all things for good for His children? We are faced with the choice of believing our hardship (sickness, death, loss) is random and outside God’s hand, or that God doesn’t really care about our situation.

Application: God is the Great I AM. He is the One who can make a way when there is no way. Acknowledge this truth and praise Him for being the Awesome and Majestic God that He is

A Fresh Encounter with God will lead us to Accept our Limitations ()

Explanation: Verses 3 and 4 are basically repetition of God’s earlier questions to Job (; ) concerning Job’s supposed ability to run the world. In his previous arrogance, Job had a solid plan about how God was supposed to respond to his situation. God’s personal visitation and questioning session had exposed the flaws in Job’s thinking.

Illustrate: something can look good until it is thoroughly inspected or examined (used cars look good on the lot but when inspected by a reputable mechanic the hidden flaws come to light) The rooms in Greensboro looked good on the internet, but when we experienced them in person it was a different reality)

Argument: It is amazing how often we forget who is in charge of the universe. How is it that we repeatedly confuse ourselves into thinking we are in control of our lives? God is not the One who changes - it is us. He tells us that He is beyond our comprehension () and He tells us that we are only dust and grass that quickly fades ().

Application: The remedy for our short memories is a fresh encounter with God in worship. When we humble ourselves and admit that we don’t have it all together is when God will reveal more of Himself to us. God resists the proud, but He gives grace to the humble ()

Argument: It is amazing how often we forget who is in charge of the universe. How is it that we repeatedly confuse ourselves into thinking we are in control of our lives?

A Fresh Encounter with God’s Holiness will result in our Repentance of sin ()

Explanation: Job confesses to the Lord that he was wrong. Job did have knowledge of God, but he admits that it was incorrect. Job said that he had heard of God, but now that he sees God more clearly he understands his sin. This fresh encounter with the Holiness and Majesty of God leads Job to a place of greater knowledge and wisdom.

The knowledge Job gains is that God is way more than Job had understood. The wisdom Job gains leads him to repentance. Job’s wisdom is that he acts upon the knowledge - he is actually changed as a result of this fresh encounter.

Illustrate: a person who has been doing a particular thing a certain way (maybe playing an instrument). Then he encounters a more accomplished musician who tells him he has been playing incorrectly. He now has more knowledge, but if he doesn’t actually change his method, he is not being wise.

Argument: Job’s fresh encounter with the LORD profoundly changed his outlook of the person and being of God. He finally understood that he himself had sinned against God. In his persistence of stating his self-righteousness, he had infringed upon God’s perfect righteousness. He saw his sin of pride for what is was: ugly and wicked, and his response was to despise himself.

When we quit making excuses, when we are honest with God, we too will see our actions and attitudes for what they really are: wicked, selfish and prideful. When we actually experience the holiness of God we will be much like Isaiah when he encountered the Eternal One. The prophet saw himself as God saw him, and he didn’t like what he saw. He cried out, “Woe is me, for I am a man of unclean lips” ().

The way we typically deal with this is by keeping God at a distance. We may talk about how much God means to us, and how important He is in our lives, but we are much more comfortable with talk instead of action. And we compare ourselves to others instead of Him. We can always find someone who is doing much worse than we are, and that makes us feel good about ourselves.

We know enough about God to understand that if we allow Him to get close, our lives will get uncomfortable fast. When God becomes real to us, will we be forced to deal with how cozy with the world system we really our. Sadly, we are confused about what is really important. We view a closeness with God as having to give up things we like and enjoy. While giving up is part of serving God (after all, Jesus did tell us to take up our Cross = dying to self). The lie we believe is that the world’s stuff and priorities are more enjoyable than living for God. We sadly think that if we get serious with God we will somehow miss out!

Application: Take note of God’s Word when He states that “friendship with the world is enmity with God” (). You do not have to continue living with one foot in each world, going in circles because you are pulled in different directions. You can look upon the Holiness and Majesty of God and surrender anew to His call on your life.