“Will the one who contends with the Almighty correct him?”
~Job 40:2 (NIV).
Bang, crash and fathom! God concludes the case of inconsolable proportions, contending with Job here, putting it back to Job to answer. And Job does come around. If we’re wise, we do too!
The theory of “contending with the Almighty” is kicking against the pricks of life—to the lamenting of things that happen ‘to’ us, without the raw acceptance of same; admittedly, a very hard thing in many cases.
There is no use fretting about anything in life.
This, however, sounds like a huge call, and an impossible one at that.
When Our ‘Dominions’ are Trampled
I find one area I’m certainly tempted to “contend with the Almighty” is when people in the workplace or at home trample the rightful dominion given to me by God—by this I mean, when people usurp the roles I’ve been given; those for which I’m charged of the responsibility for.
It riles us within to begin to imagine that some might even do these things deliberately to push us off balance. But the character test of God in all of this is still the same; in these instances, we must simply accept what’s happened and make mature reparation through the keeping of account if, and where, possible. Otherwise our restraint lets the issue go.
None of us like our turf being trampled, but we must establish ways of contending for God’s will against our own strident sense of momentary hurt. We’re thrown into a hurt child state in an instant. For this the maturity of resilience is our eternal ally.
Be Still – Knowing That God is God
What a tremendous blessing it is for the believer in Jesus Christ to know that, in him, “It is finished” (John 19:30).
This means that the grace that Jesus showed in dying on the cross for our sin, and the grace of the Father to allow his own Son to be scourged for humanity follows us, and via the Holy Spirit we gain access to the remarkably fantabulous resources of this grace for our very selves.
In this, we’re able to forgive, and that, instantly via the fervent Presence of the Holy Spirit fuelling us, to the stabilising of our emotions, from a peace that transcends all human understanding (Philippians 4:6-7).
For those who struggle for acceptance, forgiveness and letting go, there’s no fear here.
We just compel the truth toward you; it is available and ‘it’s coming to a theatre near you!’
When we consider this, one of my most favourite quotes below, nothing can truly come against us, when we’re obediently in God:
“Yet those [people and circumstances] that be against us, so far are they from thwarting us at all, that even without their will they become to us the causes of crowns, and procurers of countless blessings, so that God’s wisdom turns their plots unto our salvation and glory. See how really no one [or nothing] is against us!”
~Chrysostom (Italics added for emphasis).
This is our earth-bending truth.
Our response to let go and let God, really and very simply, removes every last micron of evil power over us. We very soon experience power beyond ourselves and this is the blessing of the Presence of the Holy Spirit commending us for contending for the Almighty.
© 2010 S. J. Wickham.
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