The Power that still speaks
“God’s voice thunders in marvelous ways; he does great things beyond our understanding.” ~ Job 37:5
Have you ever stood outside during a summer thunderstorm and just listened? I mean really listened. The booming thunder, the crack of lightning, the wind that seems to come out of nowhere. It’s a moment where creation demands attention and reminds us that we are small and He is big. This is what today’s reading describes: the voice of God roaring through nature, doing wonders we can’t even comprehend.
I remember when I was a young girl, I used to love sitting outside on the porch when a thunderstorm rolled in. It was usually a gentle rainfall with a spectacular light show and loud thunder crashes. I would count the seconds between the thunder and the lightning to determine how far away the storm actually was. One specific storm stands out, though. I was hurting because of a betrayed friendship, I couldn’t help but think about the One who sits in heaven. Watching that spectacular show in the evening sky reminded me Who He is and that He’s still speaking. That He was still working in my life even when it didn’t feel like it. That was enough to keep going. It felt like everything in me was crashing just as loudly as the thunder above but in that moment of focusing in, my heavenly Father showed me how great His power is and always will be. That He is walking through this life with me, especially in those painful moments.
Today’s reading is spoken again by Elihu, and gets us ready the voice of God in the next chapter. The passage encourages us that even when we don’t have all the answers, and even when we can’t trace His hand, we can still trust His voice. He speaks through the storm, and sometimes the storm is what makes us quiet enough to hear Him.
Here are some ways you can start tuning in to Him in your life right now:
- Get quiet on purpose.
Turn off the noise in life such as: your phone, the TV, the rush of constant tasks and sit with God. Ask Him to speak and wait to hear His answer. He doesn’t shout to compete with chaos. He often whispers when we choose to intentionally press into Him.
Choose a 10-minute window each day to sit quietly before God with no agenda. - Let creation remind you.
Take a walk, look at the sky, listen to the rain. God’s power is on display every day through His creation. When you take time to notice it, it stirs up awe and reminds you of His greatness.
Go outside once this week just to be with God. Leave your phone inside and pray as you walk. - Trust His greatness when you don’t understand His plans.
We don’t always get clarity right away. But we do get His presence. He is doing great things, even when they don’t make sense in the moment.
Write down one area of your life that feels confusing or painful. Under it, write Job 37:5 and say out loud: “God, You are still doing great things here.”
Today I want to encourage you that even though you may not get an answer right now, your Father in heaven is still speaking. You may not understand the storm, but He is in it. You may not see what’s next, but His voice is preparing the way. Pay attention to God’s power on display around you and know that it is never absent and His voice never silenced. The same God who thunders through the heavens is the One who holds your life in His hands.
Today’s scripture reading: Job 37
1 “My heart pounds as I think of this. It trembles within me.
2 Listen carefully to the thunder of God’s voice as it rolls from his mouth.
3 It rolls across the heavens, and His lightning flashes in every direction.
4 Then comes the roaring of the thunder, the tremendous voice of his majesty. He does not restrain it when he speaks.
5 God’s voice is glorious in the thunder. We can’t even imagine the greatness of his power.
6 “He directs the snow to fall on the earth and tells the rain to pour down.
7 Then everyone stops working so they can watch his power.
8 The wild animals take cover and stay inside their dens.
9 The stormy wind comes from its chamber, and the driving winds bring the cold.
10 God’s breath sends the ice, freezing wide expanses of water.
11 He loads the clouds with moisture, and they flash with his lightning.
12 The clouds churn about at his direction. They do whatever he commands throughout the earth.
13 He makes these things happen either to punish people or to show his unfailing love.
14 “Pay attention to this, Job. Stop and consider the wonderful miracles of God!
15 Do you know how God controls the storm and causes the lightning to flash from his clouds?
16 Do you understand how he moves the clouds with wonderful perfection and skill?
17 When you are sweltering in your clothes and the south wind dies down and everything is still,
18 he makes the skies reflect the heat like a bronze mirror. Can you do that?
19 “So teach the rest of us what to say to God. We are too ignorant to make our own arguments.
20 Should God be notified that I want to speak? Can people even speak when they are confused?
21 We cannot look at the sun, for it shines brightly in the sky when the wind clears away the clouds.
22 So also, golden splendor comes from the mountain of God. He is clothed in dazzling splendor.
23 We cannot imagine the power of the Almighty; but even though he is just and righteous, He does not destroy us.
24 No wonder people everywhere fear him. All who are wise show him reverence.”
Journal:
- What area of your life feels uncertain or stormy right now?
- Where can you intentionally pause and listen for God’s voice this week?
The Daily Dose 