Thunder of His Power

Facing hard times is something that most people around the world can easily relate with today, gas price is sky high, major companies and banks are failing, the world economy is on a downhill slide and the ripple effects go on and on. How will we respond when problems come to our doorstep? Our response can either be a way to grow in a positive direction or cause us to crumble. Depending on how hard you fall, it may be harder for you to look up; some may go to the extreme response of cursing God!

We can take a tip from Job, he was a righteous man, but he had the worst economic crisis in his life, he lost it all, land, house, health, family and friends, basically he lost everything. In Job 23:2-12, Job hoped that he would see God working out his circumstances, but God seemed to be far removed; the only encouragement his “friend” gave to him was to curse God and die! Death was the only way out in their eyes. Job knew better and he stuck it out by refusing to turn away from God.

In Job 26:7-14 Job went back to the basics of His beliefs, he proclaimed the Power of God! He knew God had created everything and that He was ultimately in control of everything. He knew that:

1. God spreads out the northern skies over empty space.
2. God suspends the earth on nothing. (A late discovery of 20th century man.)
3. God wraps up the waters in the clouds, yet the clouds do not burst under their weight.
4. God covers the face of the full moon, by spreading the clouds over it.
5. God marks out the horizon on the face of the waters for a boundary between light and darkness.
6. The heavens quake and astonish at the rebuke of God. (Mark 4:39)
7. Gods’ understanding and wisdom is powerful enough to whip the proud.
8. Gods’ power churns up the sea.
9. Gods’ spirit made the heavens beautiful.
10. Gods’ power formed the shape of the formless serpent.

Job also recognized that what we observe in the earth and universe is merely a whisper of what God can do, and that we cannot possibly understand the fullness of His Power! He took time to count His blessings. In Job 27:3, Job recognizes that God still allowed him to live and breathe, such a small thing but he was thankful to be alive.

It would be good for us to make a list of all the blessings in our lives, even when we are going through hard times, even when God seems to be out of sight and out of mind, it can really bring things into perspective; and even when we come to a possible end of that list, there is just so much more reason to lift our eyes to the heavens and Praise Him! This life is temporary and it is not our final destination, God has so much more in store for those that praises Him and truly love Him 1 Corinthians 2:9 proclaims..

But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. 1 Corinthians 2:9

What a great promise to bring comfort to our hearts; we have a Father in heaven that loves us so much that He sent His only Son to die for our sins, and still He is preparing an everlasting life for us to be free of the troubles of this life, free of pain, tears, so much more than we can ever imagine, take some time to praise him today!