Where Were You?

“Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth? Tell me, if you have understanding.” —Job 38:4 ESV

Where were you? Were you hovering over the waters of darkness when the Lord spoke and light came into being? Were you there when the waters separated to reveal dry ground, sky, and sea? Did you watch God toss stars into the heavens?

Today I’m reminded that God is the everlasting God. He was there before we were born, and he will be there long after our time on earth is done. Generations upon generations have worshiped the Lord up until this day, and generations upon generations will continue worshiping the Lord until he returns in glory.

Do you feel small yet?

Pride tells another story. Rebellion creeps into the heart and defiantly claims to know more about how things ought to be… even though we just got here.

In some ways, we will never get rid of this false pride until we stand face-to-face with the Lord. Only at that moment will we have no choice but to realize how great he is and how small we are. For those who are in Christ, we will realize how unworthy we are and how great his love is for us. How marvelous!

God often seems far off. Did we forget that in the gospel story, the veil of the holy of holies was torn in two? The wall of separation between God and man was broken! The Holy Spirit was poured out with tongues of fire, and even though you may not have seen such a ground-shaking move of God’s Spirit, are we really as far from God as we might think?

We won’t see God in a powerful open vision every morning when we open the Bible. Most of the time, God speaks in the still, small voice of the Holy Spirit. God’s normal mode of operation is the gentle writing of his law on our hearts. Even so, is this any less transformational than what Job experienced? I mean, is it any less God for him to speak through his word and the council of his Holy Spirit? Is it any less radical for the Son of Man to take on your sin and offer forgiveness? Can there be a greater majesty than the washing away of all our sins?

So I urge you, then, to not forget the benefit of standing in the presence of God. With his word before you, and a heart ready to surrender, you are given the invitation to encounter God. I don’t want to wait for the day of judgment before the throne to seek God’s face when he has called me to pursue him now.

Humility and surrender are life-long endeavors, like wisdom and, really, all the things of God’s kingdom. We grow in humility by seeing God. Every revelation of his greatness, love, and mercy puts us in a place of awestruck wonder. It’s easy to humble yourself before God when you see him.

Don’t let up on diving deeper into a heart of humility.